Charles Leclerc given 10-place grid penalty ahead of season finale in Abu Dhabi

By Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has been handed a 10-place grid penalty at Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after constructors were forced to fit a new battery for the season’s final race, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) confirmed on Friday.

"Leclerc, on Soft compound tyres, set his quickest time of 1:24.542 after being restricted to the garage for the first half of the session due to a problem with this SF-24," FIA said in a statement. "And it later emerged that Ferrari has fitted a third ERS of the season to his car, exceeding the permitted allocation. He will therefore take a grid penalty for Sunday’s grand prix."

This development is a significant setback for Ferrari, which currently trails McLaren by 21 points in the battle for third place in the Constructors' Championship.

With only 44 points left to fight for in the season, the grid penalty for Charles Leclerc complicates Ferrari's chances of closing the gap to their rivals in the final race.

Ferrari faced a significant setback in their bid to secure their first Formula 1 Constructors' Championship title since 2008, while McLaren is striving to win their first Constructors' title since 1998.

Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen secured his fourth Formula 1 World Championship in the 22nd race of the season at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and fourth year in a row.

The final Round 24 of the Formula 1 season will end at the 5.2-kilometer Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island, scheduled for Sunday.

- Constructors standings

1. McLaren: 640 points

2. Ferrari: 619

3. Red Bull: 581

4. Mercedes: 446

5. Aston Martin: 92