Ferrari used its first permitted curfew break of the 2021 Formula 1 season to change Carlos Sainz’s engine, which puts him at risk of a future grid penalty if the changed unit cannot be reused.
Drivers are restricted to a certain number of engine components during the season and Sainz will complete the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend on his third and final set of the major ones.
Any future engine change will incur a grid penalty but Ferrari has indicated the power unit that has been replaced is not necessarily out of the pool.
The previous unit is being sent back to Maranello for “checks and inspections” after “some parameters did not satisfy us”.
The team used one of two allowed curfew breaks to stay in the paddock beyond the allowed time from Friday night to Saturday morning to change the engine.
If Ferrari is able to determine the issue is not terminal, or fix any underlying issue, the power unit will remain in Sainz’s pool for the remainder of the season.
If it is not then he will almost certainly have a grid penalty later in the year as there are too many weekends to complete with this fresh power unit and the one he used earlier in the season.
It’s the same situation Red Bull and Honda hope they have avoided following the damage suffered by Max Verstappen in his British Grand Prix crash.
