According to Sky Sports, Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing will face a 10-place grid penalty at the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix due to exceeding the permitted number of engine components. This penalty arises from the addition of a fourth Honda power unit, surpassing the FIA’s limit of three per season.
The three-time champion’s penalty is linked to ongoing engine issues, including a power unit failure during the Canadian Grand Prix in June. In response, Red Bull introduced a new power unit, exceeding the season’s allocation. Sky Sports reports that Red Bull strategically chose Spa-Francorchamps for this penalty due to its favorable overtaking opportunities, which might minimize the impact on Verstappen’s performance.
Leading the 2024 Drivers’ Championship with a 76-point advantage over McLaren’s Lando Norris, Verstappen hasn’t won in the last three races before the Belgian Grand Prix. However, he has a strong record at Spa, with wins in 2022 and 2023 under challenging conditions.
Sky Sports’ Craig Slater commented on the situation:
“We haven’t heard anything official from the team, but I’ve spoken to people familiar with the situation. Max sounded frustrated on the team radio during the last race in Hungary, as other cars are now matching Red Bull’s performance.
A couple of years ago, Max came from outside the top 10 to win, and last year he overcame a five-place grid penalty to win from sixth. But this year, it’s a much tougher challenge to secure a win.
“Could he lose more of his lead over Norris in the drivers’ standings?”
Regarding vehicle adjustments, Slater noted:
“Red Bull will revert to a previous aerodynamic spec, as the setup at the Hungarian Grand Prix was tailored for that circuit’s twists and turns. The Red Bull is efficient at high speed on straight-line circuits like Spa, so they might still have enough performance to move up the field.”
The Belgian Grand Prix will take place this weekend at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
