Ferrari find no ‘serious damage’ to polesitter Leclerc’s gearbox after qualifying crash

Charles Leclerc faced a nervous wait after claiming pole position in Monaco in unusual circumstances on Saturday, as he waited to see whether his crash at the Swimming Pool that sealed him the top spot on the grid had caused lasting damage to his gearbox.

But as Saturday evening rolled in, his Ferrari squad revealed the news he’d been hoping for: No serious damage to his gearbox, meaning he should be able to start his home race from pole position as planned.

READ MORE: Leclerc beats Verstappen to sensational Monaco pole as late crash prevents others improving

Ferrari stopped short of confirming Leclerc was in the clear, saying that further checks would be carried out ahead of the race. Any change in gearbox would result in an automatic five-place grid drop, relegating him to sixth place and promoting Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to pole.

Leclerc had earlier expressed mixed feelings about taking Ferrari’s first pole position in 18 months, with team mate Carlos Sainz saying he found it difficult to accept that his own bid for pole had been halted by the red flag the Monegasque caused.

READ MORE: Leclerc admits mixed feelings over 'emotional' home pole