The exact reason for Leclerc’s abandonment in Monaco

Ferrari’s investigation results are in! The mechanical failure of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari before the start of the Monaco Grand Prix was due to a crack in a transmission shaft hub, which eventually gave way this Sunday after the crash at the end of Q3.

The truth found during the inspection in Maranello

The outcome of a saga that had started on Saturday. After checking the gearbox and determining that it was not damaged, the Scuderia prevented its driver from a five-place grid penalty. But the Monegasque driver finally encountered a problem when he left the garage to take his place on the grid, 30 minutes before the start. Forced return to the pits! In the end, Leclerc was unable to start due to lack of time to fix the issue. Big disappointment for the Monegasque, who had secured his first career pole position at his home Grand Prix.

On Sunday evening after the race, Mattia Binotto hinted that the issue may not have been related to the Monegasque’s accident during qualifying. However, a spokesperson for the Scuderia told the official Formula 1 website that during the disassembly of the car in Maranello, the mechanics determined that the crack in the hub was caused by the impact against the barrier on Saturday.

A hub that was on the other side of the damaged car

The hub was located on the opposite side of the car from the accident. A part not verified by Ferrari, not included in the checks carried out for this type of impact. In addition, the rules of the Parc Fermé limit the time available to a team to inspect its car after qualifying. Ferrari had only one hour after qualifying before the car was sealed. The Scuderia then retrieved car #16 at 10 o’clock on Sunday morning, five hours before the start of the Grand Prix, like the other teams.

An unprecedented case for Ferrari. When the car was started on Sunday morning, the driveshaft was working but when Leclerc set off on the track, the hub broke halfway through the lap. This damaged the driveshaft, putting an end to Leclerc’s hopes of participating in the race. Ferrari stated that it would review its component verification processes associated with the driveshaft to ensure that such issues can be detected in the future.

In principle, the gearbox can be reused. But since Leclerc did not participate in the race, it is almost certain that he will take a new unit for the next Grand Prix, in accordance with the regulations.