Ferrari confirms: Driveshaft was skipped in inspections after Leclerc's Q3 crash

F1 News

24 May 2021 at 19:07
Last update 24 May 2021 at 20:12
  • GPblog.com

An update from Ferrari regarding Charles Leclerc's broken car today confirms that the crash in qualifying did indeed leave its mark on the car for Sunday, and that the specific part causing the problem - the driveshaft hub - was not inspected by the team prior to the race.

A press release from Ferrari, seen among others by Autosport.com, confirms that it was not the gearbox, but the driveshaft that cost Charles Leclerc his pole position during his home race in Monaco.

The team also confirmed that a detailed check of the driveshaft in such situations is not standard protocol, and that it therefore remained untouched between qualifying and the start on Sunday. However, the team does say that they have now added the driveshaft to the list, should a similar situation arise again in the future.

Rare problem

Ferrari state that driveshaft issues are generally rare, and that the fact Leclerc crashed right-side into wall further reduced the likelihood of a broken driveshaft, according to the team.