Leclerc keeps podium - Ferrari fined for fuel breach

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Ferrari has been fined $50,000 by the FIA for a breach of a technical directive related to the amount of fuel carried onboard Charles Leclerc's car before Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Following a pre-race control, it appeared that the Scuderia had filled Charles Leclerc's car with more fuel than the team had declared on its tech sheet.

FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer referred the matter to the Abu Dhabi stewards who conducted a post-race investigation, the result of which revealed that Leclerc's car contained 4.88kg more fuel than the team had declared.

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The referenced technical directive requires teams to declare the amount of fuel poured into the cars for a driver's laps to the grid, the formation lap, the race, the cool-down lap to the pits and any subsequent "fire-ups that would be required".

The pre-race control revealed a 4.88kg discrepancy between what Ferrari had declared and the technical delegate's measured fuel mass.

After hearing from Ferrari's representatives, the FIA technical delegate and the FIA head of single seater technical matters, a $50,000 fine was levied upon the Scuderia as punishment for the technical breach.

Leclerc's third place finish at Yas Marina therefore remains intact.

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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.