Charles Leclerc is fine after the heavy crash at the Italian GP of Formula 1, and will be able to participate normally in the weekend in Madrid. Furthermore, Ferrari will not need to replace engine or gearbox components due to the strong impact, which would have resulted in a grid penalty in Spain.
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Leclerc suffered the accident still on the second lap in Monza, when he lost control of his SF-26 at the entrance of the Parabolica corner and crashed at high speed against the barriers. The impact caused a red flag so that the necessary repairs could be made on site.
The driver managed to leave the Ferrari on his own and underwent evaluation at the medical center, where no serious injuries were identified. After the crash, however, Leclerc reported a temporary change in vision, especially in the right eye. The symptoms disappeared later, and new evaluations carried out this week, before the Spanish GP, also did not indicate problems.
After the Italian GP, the Monegasque had explained that he would still need to undergo additional tests to confirm his condition: “First, I think I will still have to go through some extra checks. We will probably need to do this on Sunday night or Monday to make sure I am fully fit for Madrid,” he said. Leclerc was later cleared to race and continues to feel well this Thursday (10).
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The Italian team also carefully analyzed the damage caused by the impact, especially to the engine and gearbox. The consequences in these areas were limited, and Leclerc will not need to use new components that would result in a grid penalty in Madrid.
The cause of the accident is also still under investigation. Leclerc had reported a difference in power delivery between the first and second lap, but avoided establishing a direct relation to the crash before analyzing the data: “From the first to the second lap, I noticed a small difference in power delivery. We will investigate, but I don’t want to say much before we analyze the data and can confirm this,” concluded the Monegasque driver.
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