Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc made changes to their vehicles ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend, leading to an investigation by the FIA.
The duo were not the only ones to make alterations, with the Alfa Romeo, Haas, and AlphaTauri teams doing the same thing.
The 2023 Austrian Grand Prix will take place over 71 laps on the 4-kilometre Red Bull Ring in Spielberg this Sunday.
Ferrari fitted Charles Leclerc’s SF-23 with a fresh turbocharger, MGU-H, and exhaust system.
The same alterations have been made for his teammate Carlos Sainz.
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Meanwhile, Max Verstappen has had his RB-19 kitted out with a new control electronics and energy store, using the second of each component.
However, these alterations did not trigger any grid penalties as the new parts are within regulations.
Verstappen is looking to secure a fifth straight win on Sunday – and extend his lead at the head of the Driver’s Standings, where he now sits on 196 points.
Alfa Romeo and Haas have also adopted a similar tactic for this Sprint weekend, choosing to add new internal combustion engines, turbos, and exhausts.
The two Haas drivers – Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg – have also elected to use MGU-H’s, a heat energy recovery system.
AlphaTauri has joined the party in making alterations for the tough circuit that the Austrian Grand Prix will present.
Yuki Tsunoda and Valtteri Bottas will be newly equipped with fresh energy stores and new electronic controls.
These changes may be seen as necessary by the teams, due to the challenges that Sprint weekends entail, where emphasis is placed on power above all else.
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Grid penalties are decided upon by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), with its allotment rules designed to save money and keep changes to a minimum.
The price of a grid penalty can be very harsh – Leclerc was docked down 10 grid positions below where he qualified for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this year.
This penalty occurred after Leclerc used more than two of his allotted control electronics units for the season, after a pair of failures in Bahrain forced Ferrari to give his car its third.