Ferrari and Mercedes split on timing of F1 engine penalties

Ferrari takes Charles Leclerc's grid drop at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix while Mercedes holds George Russell's penalty for a planned engine upgrade.

Ferrari and Mercedes have taken opposite approaches to the same engine penalty problem heading into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Ferrari is fitting a fresh power unit to Charles Leclerc's car and accepting the resulting grid penalty this weekend, while Mercedes is postponing George Russell's drop until a planned engine upgrade is ready.

Mercedes holds one engine development opportunity under the FIA's Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities system for 2026, having been judged between two and four percent behind Red Bull's benchmark power unit. That upgrade has been available since June but has not yet been used. Russell said the team always planned to pair his penalty with the new engine, since taking a penalty now and again later would 'make zero sense.'

Russell has already used up his allocation of internal combustion engines, turbos, energy stores and control electronics. Mercedes now looks likely to introduce the upgrade at the Austin, Mexico City and São Paulo triple-header that begins October 23, though a final decision has not been made.

Ferrari, by contrast, was granted two ADUO upgrades after the FIA found its engine trailed Red Bull by more than four percent, and both have already been introduced, most recently at the Italian Grand Prix. With no future upgrade to combine with a penalty, taking Leclerc's grid drop at Baku was the logical choice, particularly after his heavy Monza crash disrupted his power unit rotation.

Lewis Hamilton is expected to serve his own penalty at a later race, with Mexico City and Interlagos the likely venues. Mercedes leads the constructors' championship with 503 points to Ferrari's 358, and Norris sits five points behind Hamilton in the drivers' standings.