Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel will receive a five-place grid penalty for the Russian Grand Prix after a gearbox change.
According to Autosport, Ferrari think that the gearbox had sustained damage after Vettel’s first-lap collision with teammate Kimi Raikkonen at the Chinese Grand Prix and have opted to change it for the remainder of the weekend after running the gearbox in the two practice sessions today.
Gearboxes have to last at least six consecutive races before they can be changed and since Vettel’s had only last three before this weekend, he will drop five places from wherever he qualifies tomorrow.
This news caps off a poor day in the car for Vettel, after the German’s car broke down 30 minutes into the second practice session due to an apparent electrical problem.
It will also be a blow for Ferrari as a whole, with the Italian outfit having brought a newly upgraded engine to Sochi this week in a bid to close the gap to frontrunners Mercedes.
Vettel finished third in the first practice session and finished second in the second practice session despite only completing 10 laps due to the aforementioned electrical problem.
