Verstappen to take penalty in Belgium and withdraw from....

Max Verstappen will suffer a 10-place grid penalty at the Belgian Grand Prix for exceeding the number of authorized engine changes. Red Bull chose Spa-Francorchamps because it is a favorable circuit for overtaking, thus limiting the damage caused by the penalty.

Verstappen to take penalty in Belgium
Max Verstappen will suffer a 10-place grid penalty at the Belgian Grand Prix for exceeding the number of authorized engine changes. Red Bull chose Spa-Francorchamps because it is a favorable circuit for overtaking, thus limiting the damage caused by the penalty.

Max Verstappen used his four authorized engine changes
© Motors Inside / Lerooy / Max Verstappen used his four authorized engine changes
Already announced some time ago by Christian Horner, Max Verstappen will have to undergo a penalty to replace some parts on his car. With the information recently provided by Autosport, it seems that it will be at the Belgian Grand Prix that everything will unfold.

Verstappen is preparing for a grid penalty.

Max Verstappen, who has already used up the number of engine changes allowed since Spain, will apparently have to change the engine again, thus exceeding the authorized limit. He who had encountered problems with his engine in the past has already changed this component on the car 4 times, the limit set by the FIA in a year.

With significantly reduced performances compared to last year, Max Verstappen is expected to introduce a new engine at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. In order to do so, he should receive a 10-place grid penalty during the Grand Prix, applied after this Saturday’s qualifying session.

Christian Horner, team principal had already mentioned this possibility, acknowledging that it was not possible to finish the season without changing this element again. But it seems that it will be during this weekend that this change will be made. A strategic decision as the Formula 1 grid is about to go on vacation.

Spa-Francorchamps circuit is particularly known for being one of the least costly circuits for a mandatory penalty. Many times in history, teams have used the track to make this type of change. In 2022, Max Verstappen won the race from 14th place on the grid after being one of the eight drivers to incur penalties related to engines, and last year, the world champion also overcame an engine penalty before winning from sixth place.

The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is notably known for being one of the circuits most suitable for overtaking, which limits the damage of such a penalty. The Hungarian circuit, where the drivers raced last week, was one of the most difficult in terms of overtaking, which makes it a logical choice for the Red Bull team to make modifications in Belgium.

Despite everything, this year could well be the year of surprises. While seven winners have already been reported since the beginning of the season, McLaren and Mercedes seem particularly in good shape in recent weeks, which could easily prevent the title holder from climbing back up the rankings.

In the meantime, Max Verstappen is now on his last turbocharger, his last battery, his last control electronics and his last electric motors, which means he will probably have to take another grid penalty later in the season. A similar situation for his teammate Sergio Pérez, who has already changed his power unit five times after complications at Silverstone.

With this strategy, Red Bull hopes to minimize the impact of penalties and maximize Verstappen’s performance throughout the season, even if it sometimes means starting from a less advantageous position on the starting grid.