By: Ferrari is preparing a Plan B for Madrid. According to information obtained by RMC Motori, Antonio Giovinazzi has been placed on standby by the Scuderia as a potential replacement for Charles Leclerc at the Spanish Grand Prix, following the huge crash that prematurely ended the Monegasque driver's race at Monza on Sunday.
Leclerc is expected to drive the SF-26 as usual in the first free practice session at the new Madrid circuit, but his participation for the remainder of the weekend is not yet completely guaranteed. Ferrari wants to assess his physical condition first-hand in the car, and above all how he feels after the heavy forces sustained in the impact with the barriers at Parabolica.
The crash occurred in the very early stages of the Italian Grand Prix, when Charles lost control of the Ferrari at high speed and hit the barriers heavily, prompting a red flag. Leclerc climbed out of the cockpit unaided and initial checks revealed no serious consequences.
Greater concern, however, came from the symptoms described by the driver himself after leaving the medical centre. Leclerc explained that he had suffered a temporary problem with his vision, particularly in his right eye, immediately after the impact. The situation then quickly returned to normal, but the Monegasque had already indicated that he would need further checks before Madrid.
Subsequent examinations are understood to have been reassuring, but Maranello is understandably unwilling to take any risks. The definitive test will therefore come in the cockpit: Leclerc is expected to take part in FP1, and only after that session will Ferrari be able to assess whether the driver is genuinely fit to complete the entire Madrid weekend without issue.
It is for precisely this possibility that Giovinazzi has reportedly been placed on standby. The Italian arrives directly from the United States, where on Sunday he contested the Lone Star Le Mans alongside Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado at the wheel of the #51 Ferrari 499P. The weekend began in the best possible way, with Giovinazzi claiming pole position in Hyperpole on exactly the same time as Jack Aitken's Cadillac, taking first place because he set the lap time first.
The race then took a decidedly less fortunate turn. After leading in the early stages, the #51 was compromised by several incidents and, above all, the timing of the final Safety Car, finishing only in 11th place at Austin, while the sister #50 of Fuoco, Molina and Nielsen took victory.
Giovinazzi could therefore switch from the 499P to the SF-26 within a matter of days, but for now this is merely a precaution. Ferrari expects to field Leclerc throughout the Spanish weekend, but has already identified an alternative solution should the Monegasque's feelings during the opening practice session suggest that greater caution is required.
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