Charles Leclerc will start this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix from wherever he qualifies. The threat of a Leclerc Spanish GP penalty has lifted after Ferrari established that the Monegasque’s heavy Monza crash left his power unit intact, sparing him a grid drop at Formula 1’s newest venue.
Why the Leclerc Spanish GP penalty threat receded
Leclerc retired on lap two of the Italian Grand Prix after a bounce over a water drain at the Parabolica pitched him wide and into the tyre barrier at more than 230km/h, as he defended from Oscar Piastri’s McLaren. Motorsport.com reports that the SF-26 absorbed a deceleration exceeding 50G without significant engine damage, and that only the transmission casing needs replacing before Madrid.
That is a rare piece of good fortune in a bruising fortnight for the Scuderia. Ferrari left its home race with eight points, all of them from Lewis Hamilton’s sixth place, after the pair came close to contact on the opening lap. The team is now 122 points adrift of championship leader Mercedes, whose Kimi Antonelli won at Monza to become the first Italian to take his home grand prix since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966.
Madrid brings a second outing for Ferrari’s ADUO power unit upgrade, introduced at Monza, though the team has already conceded it is no game changer against the Mercedes engine.
Round 14 of the 2026 season marks Formula 1’s first visit to Madrid in 45 years, with the 57-lap Madring taking over the Spanish Grand Prix title from Barcelona. Our Madring start-times guide has the full weekend schedule.
