Ferrari has confirmed Sebastian Vettel will be able to continue using the gearbox he used at the Malaysian Grand Prix this weekend at Suzuka after a test of the unit at the team’s factory in Maranello.
It was feared the gearbox, which must last for six consecutive races unless a driver retires, would be damaged after the nasty yet bizarre post-race crash with Lance Stroll after Sunday’s race at Sepang when the pair collided at Turn 5.
In a tweet posted on Wednesday morning, however, the Scuderia is confident the unit can continue to be used.
“The gearbox Vettel used in the Malaysia GP is still available for the Japanese GP,” it read.
If the unit had been damaged beyond repair, the result would have been a five-place grid penalty in Japan which could well have impacted Vettel’s championship hopes further after what was terrible four weeks that saw a seven-point lead become a 34-point deficit.
What will be of concern, however, is whether the gearbox can last the remaining five races which it will be needed to do after only being introduced in Malaysia following Vettel’s first lap crash in Singapore.
