Ferrari gives Leclerc's engine the all-clear for China

©Ferrari

Ferrari will not need to replace Charles Leclerc's engine for next week's Chinese Grand Prix, according to reports from Italy.

Leclerc was in a class of his own at Sakhir, heading to a sensational first victory in F1 when a gremlin crept in, hindering the Ferrari charger and enabling Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas to steal the Monegasque's thunder.

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Checks carried out at Maranello this week revealed that Leclerc's sudden loss of power was caused by a short circuit within an injection system control unit.

"This type of problem had never been seen before on the component in question," said Ferrari in a statement.

The Scuderia has given the engine the all-clear for Shanghai, thus avoiding tapping into its limited three-unit allocation.

Nevertheless, Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto has ordered a full investigation into the engine component failure in order to avoid a costly repeat of the misfortune that befell Leclerc in Bahrain.

"We will work on the issue but I'm completely confident they will find what the issues are and they will be fixed for the future," said Leclerc.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.