Sainz was forced to retire from the Austrian Grand Prix while running third in the closing stages two weeks ago after a fire emerged on his car following an engine failure.
The issue and fire left Ferrari weighing up whether or not to change Sainz’s power unit and take a grid penalty at Paul Ricard this weekend. Ferrari F1 boss Mattia Binotto said after Austria that it was “very likely” a change would be required, while Sainz said on Thursday that there was “a chance” he may have to do so.
Following the start of opening practice in France, the FIA issued an update confirming the new power unit elements taken for this weekend, one of which was a fresh control electronics on Sainz’s car.
As it is Sainz’s third control electronics of the season, breaking the yearly limit of two, it has triggered an automatic 10-place grid drop.
Sainz’s power unit has also been fitted with a fresh energy store, but as it is only his second element of the season, he remains within the yearly limit and has no additional penalty.
The burned out car of Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1-75, after a fire causes his retirement
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
But should Ferrari it opt to stagger any further power unit changes through the rest of the weekend - an approach taken with Charles Leclerc in Canada - and take a fresh engine, turbocharger, MGU-K or MGU-K, then it would drop Sainz to the back of the grid.
The penalty will come as a further setback for Sainz, who said on Thursday that the Austria retirement came just as he was “getting my championship hopes back up” following his win at Silverstone. The Spaniard now sits 75 points behind standings leader Max Verstappen, and is 37 back from team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Changes have also been made to Lewis Hamilton’s car at Mercedes for France, where he will run with a fresh turbocharger, energy store and MGU-H this weekend. All the new elements remain within the limit, meaning Hamilton will serve no grid drop.
Hamilton is joined in taking a new energy store by Sainz, George Russell and Zhou Guanyu, while Verstappen and Lando Norris both have a new exhaust system for this weekend without any penalty.
AlphaTauri reveals long-awaited F1 car update for Paul Ricard
Sainz's Austria "zero" came as he was getting 'F1 title hopes back up'
McLaren: FIA must "not give way" and push through F1 floor changes for 2023
AlphaTauri reveals long-awaited F1 car update for Paul Ricard
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
The familiar Paul Ricard weakness that should worry Ferrari at the French GP
The Red Bull and Ferrari battle for supremacy takes to Formula 1's next battleground at the Paul Ricard circuit. Although the Scuderia ended Friday's running ahead of the French Grand Prix with an advantage in the timesheets, it has a clear weakness - displayed last year - that Red Bull has a chance to exploit
Red Bull: Lobbying for 2023 F1 floor changes about helping "certain team"
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner thinks that Formula 1’s tweaked floor rules for 2023 are being pushed for just so a "certain team" can benefit.
F1 French GP qualifying - Start time, how to watch & more
Carlos Sainz topped the times on Friday for Ferrari at the Formula 1 French Grand Prix. Here’s how and when to watch qualifying.
Hamilton says "not spectacular" Mercedes slower than expected in France
Lewis Hamilton says "not spectacular" Mercedes is slower than it expected to be at Formula 1’s French Grand Prix after Friday's practice.
The familiar Paul Ricard weakness that should worry Ferrari at the French GP
The Red Bull and Ferrari battle for supremacy takes to Formula 1's next battleground at the Paul Ricard circuit. Although the Scuderia ended Friday's running ahead of the French Grand Prix with an advantage in the timesheets, it has a clear weakness - displayed last year - that Red Bull has a chance to exploit
The driver who ended the curse of Red Bull’s second F1 seat
Being Max Verstappen’s team-mate has been the undoing of several drivers, but Sergio Perez has finally made the job his own. Here’s how the Mexican has succeeded where Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon before him stumbled
Why F1 drivers can't have their cake and eat it over track limits
One of the biggest gripes over track limits in Formula 1 has been consistency, and thus new race director Niels Wittich has chosen to enforce track limits at every corner - with the white line the outer permissible extremity. The drivers aren't exactly happy with that in practice, but it does afford the uniformity that they desired...
Why a title-less 2022 F1 season won't stop Hamilton's legacy from growing
OPINION: Lewis Hamilton appears unlikely to extend his tally of seven Formula 1 world championships in 2022, as Mercedes tries to recover the ground it has lost with its new car. Regardless, his legacy only looks set to be further cemented thanks to his tireless work off-track to help boost a rising star and also make motorsport a better place
How F1's new rules really rate halfway through their first season
OPINION: Formula 1 is now exactly halfway through its first season running the new cars championship owner Liberty Media set about introducing after its 2017 purchase. So, how exactly are those major rule changes really working now the evidence has mounted up?
The problem sausage kerbs continue to cause
Track limits are the problem that motorsport doesn't seem to be able to rid itself of. But the use of so-called 'sausage kerbs' as a deterrent has in several instances only served to worsen the problem, and a growing number of voices want to see action taken
How Red Bull's gateway F1 car overcame a baked-in disadvantage
The RB5 was the first Red Bull to win a GP but, as STUART CODLING explains, the early success of the car in 2009 was somewhat against the run of form
How unshackled Albon is taking inspiration from Hamilton and Vettel
No longer defined by being benched by Red Bull, Alex Albon is establishing himself as a worthy successor to George Russell in the lead seat at Williams – and, as STUART CODLING explains, he’s also following the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel in using his profile to improve the lives of others