Charles Leclerc ‘Set for Brazil GP Penalty’ After Lewis Hamilton Complaints

Charles Leclerc could be hit with a penalty at next weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix.

Last weekend, Leclerc finished second to McLaren star Lando Norris at the Mexico Grand Prix.

With the help of a late Virtual Safety Car, the Monegasque managed to keep Max Verstappen, who was on faster tyres, behind.

However, Leclerc was criticised for an incident that happened at the start of the race, after he appeared to gain a lasting advantage over teammate Lewis Hamilton by going off track at Turn One.

The Ferrari pair touched wheels with Hamilton seemingly ahead at the corner, but Leclerc returned to the track ahead of the Brit.

Taking to his team radio, Hamilton was heard saying: "I was ahead of Charles. What are they doing about people who took advantage Turn 1?"

In response, his race engineer Riccardo Adami said: "Nothing yet. Let’s focus on our race, keep the traction metrics low. Turn nine is good, what you’re doing."

The likes of Leclerc and Verstappen went unpunished, but Hamilton was handed a 10-second penalty for a similar incident, which ruined his race.

Hamilton and Leclerc made contact at the Mexico Grand Prix. Image: Getty

Looking ahead to next weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, it has been reported that Leclerc could be hit with a grid penalty.

While the penalty will have nothing to do with his incident with Hamilton, it could be down to a change to his car.

As per Funo Analisi Tecnica, Ferrari have a decision to make on whether to change Leclerc's power unit, which will come with a 10-place grid penalty.

Earlier in the season, Hamilton took an engine penalty before the Belgian Grand Prix after exceeding his quota of power unit elements.

It has been suggested that, due to the nature of the Interlagos track, where overtaking is easier, multiple teams could look at taking the engine penalty in order to minimise damage.

Back in the 2021 edition of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Hamilton took a five-place grid penalty for a second out-of-quota engine change and started from 10th place, but still managed to win the race.