Ferrari has fitted new engine parts to Sebastian Vettel’s Formula 1 car to boost his available pool of components, after identifying the cause of his Malaysia Grand Prix qualifying failure.
Ferrari replaced Vettel’s engine after detecting a problem at the end of FP3, but a turbo pressure issue meant Vettel was unable to complete a timed lap in Q1.
Overnight analysis of the power unit on Vettel’s car has pinpointed the problem to a broken manifold that fed air from the compressor to the internal combustion unit.
The issue caught Ferrari by surprise as the engine had run without problem on the dyno in Maranello prior to being shipped to Malaysia.
The first indication of an issue only came up during the first part of qualifying.
With Vettel set to start at the back of the grid anyway, Ferrari has taken the opportunity to fit new engine components – as the grid penalties will not cost him anything.
Ferrari has fitted a fifth internal combustion engine, a fifth MGU-H and a fifth turbo, which in turn incurs a 20-place grid penalty.