Following a late technical issue, Sauber has elected to change the gearbox on Charles Leclerc's car ahead of qualifying.

As the change is before the required six consecutive events the Monegasque will take a 5-place penalty for tomorrow's Austrian Grand Prix.

"5 places penalty because of a gearbox change," tweeted the youngster ahead of Q1. "It's fine, we'll push to get the best result anyway."

Leclerc, who has scored points in four of the last five races, is the centre of much media speculation at present as it is claimed he will replace Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari next year.

Having posted the tenth quickest time earlier, despite the penalty the youngster is still expected to challenge for a place in Q3 this afternoon.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by klmn, 30/06/2018 21:23

"Only Ham could bring the DWC to Ferrari next year"

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2. Posted by 4-Wheel Drifter, 30/06/2018 21:02

"Media speculation on Charles LeClerc is premature as regards promotion to the second seat at Ferrari. My hunch is that F1 media doesn't like Kimi --and never has-- because he doesn't play their game when they ask him stupid questions. He, along with Hamilton, Vettel, Bottas & Alonso is the kind of driver Mercedes or Ferrari entrusts their mulit-million dollar cars to. Red Bull has spent probably as much money fixing Verstappen's cars as it pays him to drive them and I'm pretty sure neither Mercedes or Ferrrari are interested in him. It's far more likely that Maranello is interested in Daniel Ricciardo (who is currently THIRD in driver's points after Louis and Seb), than in the, essentially un-tested, young LeClerc. He has, indeed, hauled an ordinary back marker machine into some nice finishes, but nothing like Fernando who has earned almost three times as many points in an un-drivable machine carrying no more than a great name. F1 is, of course, itself a great name be-smirched by hostility to racing and coziness on the part of its leadership with big names like Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault. One has to wonder, with the recent move on the part of Red Bull as regards power plants, whether they have finally decided to give up the struggle. Or do they (and Honda) know something none of the media chaps have even guessed thus far, let alone pursued. What aboout Pitpass? What do you guys know and why aren't you saying?"

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Grid penalty for Leclerc

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