Formula 1: How grid penalty to Charles Leclerc complicates Ferrari's hopes of a first constructors' title since 2008

The mood in the Ferrari camp at the Yas Marina Circuit wasn’t exactly cheerful despite Charles Leclerc topping the opening practice ahead of the season-concluding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Friday. The Monégasque driver had finished with a timing of 1:24.321, 0.221 seconds quicker than McLaren’s British driver Lando Norris and nearly half-a-second (0.485s) faster than Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who is set to race alongside him next season.

Leclerc, however, was slapped with a 10-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race in the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after taking a new battery pack on his car. “Unfortunately, today on our side we’ve had a problem but I’m not wishing a problem to anybody else," Leclerc said. “We’ll just focus on ourselves and try to do an amazing recovery on Sunday.”

With Ferrari currently second in the 2024 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship, the penalty imposed on Leclerc comes as a massive blow to their hopes of winning at least one title this season, given Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen has already clinched the driver’s title for a fourth consecutive season.

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How Leclerc’s grid penalty affects Ferrari’s hopes of winning the constructors’ title

McLaren and Ferrari are the only teams with over 600 points this season with Red Bull, who had won the championship in each of the last two seasons, currently third with 581 points after a season that was far from ideal. Mercedes, who had won eight consecutive constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021 in an era of total domination for Hamilton, are at the fourth spot with 446 points.

Norris and Leclerc sit at the second and third spots respectively with 349 and 341 points each while their teammates Piastri and Sainz are fourth and fifth with 291 and 272 points respectively. And their 21-point deficit means Ferrari won’t finish the season on top of the constructors’ standings even if they secure a one-two finish in Abu Dhabi if the two McLarens finish third and fourth.

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McLaren 🆚 Ferrari in 2024

The constructors' title battle is going to the wire ⚔️#F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/Cho9mTkLmd

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 5, 2024

For Ferrari’s Leclerc, who has won three races this season including on home turf in Monaco, securing a top-two finish just got all the more difficult after being order to start several rows behind in Sunday’s race.

McLaren, however, expect a strong challenge from two Ferraris despite the grid penalty.

“Even with the penalty, I wouldn’t be surprised if we can see (Ferrari) very rapidly fighting for the front,” McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said. “So nothing changes. We keep remaining calm, focused and full of energy.”