In a dramatic opening day at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc found himself battling food poisoning along with an unexpected grid penalty.

After attending a dinner with fellow competitors on Thursday evening, Leclerc faced a harrowing night, stating, “It all started, unfortunately, last night where I got food poisoned and couldn’t sleep all the night. I’m so tired; I just want to sleep now. So it wasn’t so easy.” His fatigue was palpable, yet his determination remained unwavering.

Motivated by a unique opportunity to share the track with his younger brother Arthur—who took over Carlos Sainz Jr.'s car for the opening practice session—Leclerc pushed through his discomfort. “This morning I didn’t feel like I wanted to drive, but obviously the huge motivation of the day was doing FP1 with my younger brother. This is a dream that came true today for both of us,” he shared, emphasizing the emotional moment for their family who traveled from Monaco to witness the event.

However, as the practice session began, the unexpected struck again. “Unfortunately, as soon as we fired up the car, we saw that there was a problem with the energy storage,” Leclerc explained. This malfunction led the team to replace the battery, resulting in a hefty 10-place grid penalty for Leclerc as he surpassed the maximum number of battery units allocated for the season.

This setback poses a significant challenge for Ferrari, who is eyeing a comeback to clinch the constructors' championship title against McLaren. Leclerc acknowledged the looming pressure while balancing personal milestones, stating, “Lots of things were going through my head. First, am I going to drive this FP1 with my brother, which is a unique opportunity? And obviously also the championship. That makes our weekend a lot more difficult.”

Despite the challenges, his spirits seemed to lift. “But that doesn’t demotivate me at all. I feel a little bit better tonight already. I’ll have a good night’s sleep and will come back tomorrow with the battery fully recharged – I’m not trying to play a game with the words! – and hopefully we’ll have a great day tomorrow and then an amazing recovery on Sunday.”

As Leclerc aims to overcome adversity on the first day of the final race weekend, the F1 community watches closely, wondering if he can bounce back. Should he succeed, it could be a pivotal moment for both his career and Ferrari's championship hopes. Stay tuned as the drama unfolds in Abu Dhabi!