'Ferrari changes Leclerc's gearbox for second time ahead of Miami GP'

Ferrari has changed Charles Leclerc's gearbox for the second time this weekend, Formula 1 journalist Adam Cooper reported on Twitter. As it is his third gearbox of the year where four are allowed, it means no grid penalty for the Monegasque.

Leclerc on second gearbox of the weekend

Leclerc started the weekend with a new gearbox, but after his crash during qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari decided not to take any risks and replace the part pre-emptively. This is not to say that the gearbox is not salvageable, but the Italian racing team are taking a safe bet.

In principle, F1 teams are not allowed to work on the cars between qualifying and the race, but there is an exception to that rule if there is damage. In that case, teams are allowed to replace parts within the parc fermé rules, with the requirement that the replaced parts are identical.

With his crash in Q3, Leclerc caused a red flag with a minute and a half left on the clock. This prevented the F1 drivers from turning on for their final flying lap, resulting in a surprising starting line-up. Thus, Max Verstappen will have to start the race from ninth place, after the Dutchman himself made a mistake on his first fast lap.