TECHNICAL: Unplanned engine change for Charles Leclerc in Imola

Having received a new internal combustion engine just two weeks ago in Miami, Ferrari have elected to equip Charles Leclerc’s SF-24 with another fresh engine for this weekend’s Imola F1 round.

For the 11th year running, the 2024 F1 cars are powered by V6 hybrid turbo power units with 1.6-litre engines. This season represents the penultimate year the current engine configuration appears before being replaced by a new power unit formula in 2026.

Current F1 power units feature seven elements: the internal combustion engine (ICE), motor generator unit-heat (MGU-H), motor generator unit-kinetic (MGU-K), turbocharger, energy store (ES), control electronics (CE) and exhaust.

Over the course of the 2024 season, a driver may use no more than four ICEs, MGU-Hs, MGU-Ks and turbochargers, two energy stores and control electronics, and eight of each of the four elements that make up a set of exhaust systems (comprising primaries left-hand side, primaries right-hand side, secondary LHS and secondary RHS).

Following several years of technical issues, Ferrari have upped their game in terms of reliability. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc completed the opening five races with the same power unit, and their cars were only equipped with a new set of PU components in Miami.

However, Ferrari has now elected to install a new power unit in to the car of the Monegasque driver which indicates that the Italian squad detected issues with the second power unit which has only completed a single race weekend.

In fact, the five-time race winner has received a new internal combustion engine, MGU-H, MGU-K, turbocharger and exhaust system.

Williams driver Logan Sargeant and Haas racer Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg have also taken a fresh engine, turbocharger, MGU-K and MGU-H for this weekend’s Imola round.

Visa RB drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo received a new energy store and control electronics for their team’s home race. Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have been given a new control electronics

Alongside Leclerc, four other drivers - Hulkenberg, Magnussen, Sargeant and Alpine racer Esteban Ocon - have received a new exhaust system.

Drivers are also limited in terms of how many restricted-number components (RNCs) they can use during a season. RNCs are components that make up the gearbox, split between the gearbox case and cassette, and the gearbox driveline, gear change components and auxiliary components.

As with their power units, drivers have a ‘pool’ of five gearboxes that can be swapped around during the season. Only when a driver exceeds their allocation of either of the above gearbox components do they receive a grid penalty.

Two drivers have received fresh gearboxes for the first race of the European leg of the season. Williams driver Logan Sargeant’s car has been equipped with a new unit which is his third one for the season, leaving him with two fresh ones to see out the rest of the season.

Completing their first of two home races in 2024, Visa RB has elected to equip Yuki Tsunoda’s car with a fresh gearbox. The Japanese has only used a single gearbox so far this season.