Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco prepares for the first free practice before the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Friday, December 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic )
ABU DHABI – Ferrari suffered a severe setback in its hopes of winning the Formula One constructors’ title for the first time since 2008 when Charles Leclerc was handed a 10-place grid penalty on Friday.
Leclerc had set the fastest lap in the first practice session at Yas Marina but Ferrari later revealed it had changed his car’s battery, triggering an automatic penalty for breaching the rules.
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The current FIA confirmed in a technical report that Leclerc was now using his third energy tank for the season, one more than allowed.
READ: F1: Lewis Hamilton ends an era of McLaren and Ferrari fighting for the title
Ferrari is 21 points behind leader McLaren, last champion in 1998, with 44 points to gain on Sunday and Red Bull, third, out of the race.
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Leclerc set a best time of one minute 24.321 seconds, with McLaren’s Lando Norris 0.221 slower and the Mercedes pair of seven-time world champions Lewis Hamilton and George Russell third and fourth.
However, Hamilton was under investigation by stewards for allegedly obstructing Norris.
Sunday’s race will be Hamilton’s last for Mercedes before joining Ferrari to replace Carlos Sainz.
READ: The Leclerc brothers Charles and Arthur during the first F1 tests at Ferrari
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly finished fifth, while his new Australian teammate Jack Doohan finished only 19th in preparation for his first race replacing Esteban Ocon.
Nico Hulkenberg finished sixth for Haas and Williams’ Franco Colapinto seventh, but he had to lose five places on the grid due to gearbox changes. Colapinto’s teammate Alex Albon will receive a similar penalty.
In a first in Formula 1, two brothers took to the track for the same team during the same session: Leclerc was joined by his younger brother Arthur (18th) in the other Ferrari usually driven by Spaniard Sainz.
Six of the ten teams had a young driver behind the wheel of one of their cars, thus fulfilling the obligation to give him track time.
Japanese Ryo Hirakawa replaced Oscar Piastri at McLaren, Isack Hadjar drove the Red Bull of four-time champion Max Verstappen and Felipe Drugovich was in the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll.
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Ayumu Iwasa replaced fellow Japanese Yuki Tsunoda at RB and Luke Browning for Alex Albon at Williams.
