Ferrari set for major engine upgrades in Silverstone, but Leclerc risks grid penalty

Ferrari is pushing ahead with its car development programme for 2022.

According to reports, the Maranello-based team will bid to return Charles Leclerc to the world championship lead with the help of an updated power unit. The development, which is expected to debut at next month's British GP, reportedly upgrades the electronic or 'hybrid' parts of the impressive new 2022 engine.

There will reportedly also be minor car upgrades in Baku this weekend, followed by more significant aerodynamic upgrades a week later in Montreal and then at Spa in August.

As for the engine upgrades, the electrical upgrade for Silverstone is "the only (power unit) area where improvements can still be made under the FIA regulations. It's not just about horsepower but also reliability, where developments are allowed."

Penalty in the pipeline?

Leclerc, however, is running out of allowed MGU-H units so that "if Ferrari replaces the component before Silverstone, it could result in a grid penalty when the evolved version of the power unit is introduced".

According to Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko, the engines used by the top three teams, including Mercedes and Ferrari, are all close together in performance this year.

"The strange engine power advantage with Lewis Hamilton's engine last year - I don't think that's the case anymore," the Austrian said.

Marko also notes how Hamilton and especially George Russell have recently been more competitive after a bad start to the season, adding: "They just don't do this consistently.

"That makes it difficult to estimate where that lap time comes from. However, when I listen to Mercedes, I get the impression that they don't know that themselves either. The only thing that's dangerous is that the potential is definitely