The new power unit features a revised hybrid system and is belie꧋ved to be worth around 8-9bhp in performance.

Leclerc got his first taste of the upgraded engine during Friday practice in Sochi, where he will take an automatic penalty that will see him start at the back of 𒀰the grid for Sunday’s race after exceeding his permitted number of🐓 power units this season.

Ferrari was braced for Leclerc to take an engine penalty after one of ♏his power units was damaged beyond repair in the opening lap carnage at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

With that in mind, Ferrari took the opportunity to install a b𓄧rand new power unit it has been specifically developing for the 2022 F1 season.

“It went very good, it was a positivꦡe day,” Leclerc said. “Obviously whenever you make a big change for everyone, for the mechanics, for us; it’s a new part so it’s good to s🌠ee everything was working as expected.

“F𒁃or now we’ve been focusing mostly on the race because for qualifying we would anyway be starting 🍸last, so we’ve done a good job today by taking as much information as we could and [I’m] happy with our Friday.”

Asked whether he could feel much of a difference with his new-spec engine, Leclerc ꧙replied: “I feel that it is a little 𝕴bit better, which is great.

“Obviously the data🧔 confirms it, so yes, it’s great to feel it an𒉰d to see it.”

Ferrari is understood to be running the power unit in a conservative mod🥃e initially in order to provi♒de some vital early feedback and compare its real-world findings against simulations on the dyno.

Speaking after opening practice on Friday, Ferrari sporting director Lღaurent Mekies explained that the Itali🅰an outfit is willing to take penalties this year in order to boost its prospects for next season.

“It’s fair to say that the m꧒ain target with this power unꦑit is, above all, to work next year,” Mekies said after opening practice on Friday.

“So it was a big push from the company to try to bring this new hybrid system as early as nඣow. It’s to make sure that we can confirm that all the processes, all the direction of development that we have for next year’s PU is confirmed with the race track feedback♒.

“It’s one tꦓhing to have the simulation and it’s one thing to have the dyno test, it’s much better if we can have an on-track confirmation. Hopefully it will be a step in the right෴ direction.”

Mekies confirmed that Sainz will also receive t🔯he upgrade, most likely at next month’s Turkish Grand Prix on 10 October.

Leclerc is expecting his bid to fight through the field on Sunday to prove a di🥂fficult task.

“It is a very difficult track to overtake,” he explainedꦇ. “I tried during FP2 and it was very difficult. Let’s see, I will try my best, but I expect maybe a difficult race on Sunday.”

But Leclerc has devised an opportunistic plan to follow Max Verstappen’s expected charge, with the Red Bull driver joining Leclerc on the back row af♔ter taking his own𒁏 engine penalty.

“It might be a bit easier for h🥀im,” Leclerc said. “He’s quite a bit quicker than us, but I will try to use him to⛄ just stay behind him and overtake cars with him.”