F1: Sainz Jr. set for Monza grid penalty

(GMM) Carlos Sainz Jr. looks set to take a grid penalty at Ferrari’s home Italian GP this weekend.

His teammate Charles Leclerc suffered a similar fate recently at Spa-Francorchamps, and the same is now expected for Spaniard Sainz.

“We will have to replace the engine very soon and take a grid penalty,” he confirmed.

“It will be a lighter power unit and that should help us because we are still a bit overweight.”

Team boss Mattia Binotto, however, is not ready to confirm that it will happen at Monza.

“Sooner or later we have to take a penalty,” said the Italian. “We hope that we only lose five or ten places rather than starting at the back.”

Binotto also slammed 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg for suggesting that Ferrari’s stream of strategy and pitstop errors this year should trigger urgent personnel changes.

“Even Formula 2 teams or F3 teams do a better job than Ferrari,” Rosberg said after Zandvoort.

Binotto hit back: “We will not change people – that is my answer to Rosberg.

“We have great people already, and it has been proven that what is more important in sport is stability and that we make sure we are improving day-by-day and race-by-race.”