Major Charles Leclerc update shared by F1 reporter after Ferrari star’s Canadian GP woes

F1 reporter Franco Nunges revealed the issues Charles Leclerc faced during the 2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix leading to his retirement later in the race. He explained that the performance should "return to normal" in the upcoming race in Spain.

Canada turned out to be a disappointment for Ferrari after the highs of Monaco as both their drivers retired from the race. Leclerc reported engine issues early in the race which hampered his hopes for any overtakes, which was the only expectation after both cars failed to qualify for Q3. As the issues worsened, the team retired his car. F1 reporter Franco Nugnes explained that there was no damage to the power unit, but misfiring led to loss of power.

"Charles' engine suffered no damage although it suffered from misfiring which deprived the Monegasque driver of significant power for around 15 laps: Fred Vasseur spoke of 80 horsepower," he wrote on Motorsports Italy.

He further revealed that the team will replace the PU on the #16 Ferrari of Charles Leclerc as a precaution for Spain, where the performance is expected to return to normal.

"As a precaution, Ferrari will replace the PU control unit and everything should return to normal in Spain," Nugnes added.

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Charles Leclerc's championship position under threat as Ferrari heads to Spain

The Italian outfit has been rather competitive so far in the season. Carlos Sainz won the Australian GP earlier and Charles Leclerc emerged victorious at his home race in Monaco. The latter currently stands at second place in the championship.

The top three teams look very much in contention for the world championship as McLaren has also developed quite a bit from last year. Lando Norris won the Miami Grand Prix, and after finishing P2 in Canada, he has closed up on Leclerc in the standings, only seven points separate the two drivers.

The Spanish GP will be an important race as the competitive level between the teams will be made more transparent because of the nature of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Ferrari has remained consistent for the most part of this season which helped them to gain a significant advantage trailing Red Bull in the constructors' championship.

The competition is expected to be close between the two teams as although Max Verstappen leads the drivers' championships, their second driver, Sergio Perez has had some questionable performances.

McLaren's performance has also opened up the possibilty of a three-way battle for the championship.