Max Verstappen will take a 10-place grid penalty at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix as a result of a power unit change.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner had previously admitted it was inevitable that Verstappen would require an extra power unit at some stage, and the team has now opted to take a fresh internal combustion engine (ICE) at Spa-Francorchamps. The track offers overtaking opportunities and Verstappen has climbed through the field from similar penalties at each of the last two years at the same venue, winning from 14th on the grid in 2022, and sixth last year.
However, the championship leader has not won in three races and will face a tall order to do so again on Sunday, admitting that the current competitive picture makes it unlikely that he can repeat the success of the last two years.
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“If you look at our last few races where we haven’t particularly been the fastest, I wouldn’t say that with 10 places extra we have a chance of winning,” Verstappen said.
As it is the first component that Verstappen has exceeded limits for this season, it carries a 10-place grid penalty.
The Dutchman is not the only driver taking a penalty this weekend, with Yuki Tsunoda set to start from the back of the grid after RB took a complete new power unit. As well as the ICE, Tsunoda has a new MGU-H, MGU-K, turbocharger, energy store and control electronics.