Leclerc and Sargeant set to start the Spanish Grand Prix from the pit lane after parc ferme changes

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Williams’ Logan Sargeant will start this afternoon’s Spanish Grand Prix from the pit lane after their teams made the decision to make changes to their cars with parc ferme conditions active.

Leclerc endured a tough qualifying outing on Saturday, failing to make it out of Q1 – for the first time since the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix – which had left him with a P19 grid slot.

READ MORE: Leclerc left searching for answers after ‘very, very weird’ feeling leads to shock Q1 exit in Spain

Following an investigation into what happened on Saturday, Ferrari decided to make changes to his suspension, as well as replace his car with a new energy store, a new control electronics, and a new gearbox case and cassette.

“As time to check Charles’ car was limited, we decided to replace the rear end, so that a proper investigation can be carried out in Maranello. Charles will start from the pit lane,” Ferrari revealed.

Leclerc will however not lose a place, with Sargeant – who qualified in 20th – also set to start from the pit lane after Williams made changes to his suspension, as well as alterations to his brake cooling.

The American driver had crashed in FP3, losing the rear through the final corner to wind up in the barriers. Williams did manage to repair his car in time for qualifying, but the team then opted for a pit lane start to make those revisions.

Ferrari and Williams sit fourth and 10th respectively in the constructors’ standings, and while it could be difficult for Williams to add to their points tally, Ferrari do at least have Carlos Sainz starting on the front row.