Charles Leclerc will start the Russian Grand Prix from the end of the grid after Ferrari fitted it with a new hybrid propulsion element to collect data for its brand new 2022 PU. Leclerc, however, denied that Ferrari would make a leap up with the new part in the upcoming races.
Ferrari announced Thursday morning that Leclerc would receive the new item this weekend in Sochi “to gain experience for the 2022 car project” – with Leclerc receiving the part first because he was concerned that the engine he was using during hand-to-hand combat ran in lap 1, August was damaged at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
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When asked before the Russian Grand Prix weekend what he expected from the new hybrid system, Leclerc replied: “We expect it to get a little better. We don’t expect big, big changes, but something that is going in the right direction. “
Concerns about Leclerc’s Hungarian engine meant he got the new part first
Given the rain forecast for this weekend, Leclerc said he hoped to make progress from his grid position on Sunday.
“Let’s see,” he said. “At the moment the weather forecast says rain. If so, it could be a pretty unpredictable race and hopefully play in our favor. But when it’s dry, when we have the pace, it’s still a track to overtake, so let’s see how it goes. “
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It is not yet certain when Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz will receive the updated hybrid unit himself. But the Spaniard admitted that he would follow Leclerc’s progress with interest this weekend before installing the part on his own Ferrari SF21.
“Of course,” replied Sainz when asked if he would keep an eye on the other side of the garage in Sochi. “This is the direction of development the team is looking for in order to experiment on the drive side over the next year.
Sainz does not yet know when he will get the new hybrid system
“I will say it [in] As soon as the compromise between the last start, the track and the championship allows me to put it in the car with the parts I have available, ”he added. “The team has obviously gone out of their way to bring this point forward and I’m happy about it [Charles] get a first taste, see how it works and experiment for us.
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“I hope it’s a good step and we’re going in the right direction and I can see that he’s quick because I will think of that at some point during the season. And it should make our life easier. “
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