Formula 1 2019: Ferrari's Charles LeClerc to take grid penalty at Brazilian Grand Prix for getting engine replaced

London: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will take a grid penalty at this weekend’s Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix after team boss Mattia Binotto said his car’s power unit was damaged and needed replacing. [caption id=“attachment_7641821” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Charles Leclerc is currently fourth in the 2019 F1 drivers’ standings. AP[/caption] The 22-year-old Monegasque is third in the championship, 14 points ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen with two races remaining. “Charles will get a new Power Unit (at Interlagos), as his was damaged on Saturday in Austin, which meant he had to use a previously used and less powerful version for the rest of the weekend,” Binotto said in a race preview. “Fitting a new power unit means taking a grid penalty in Sao Paulo, but we should be back to our normal performance level and show some fighting spirit to finish the season on a high note.” Mercedes have already won both championships for the sixth year in a row, with Lewis Hamilton sealing his sixth drivers’ title at the US Grand Prix in Texas on 3 November. Leclerc finished fourth in Austin after the engine failure in qualifying, but still set the fastest lap, with team mate Sebastian Vettel retiring from the race with a broken rear right suspension.