Verstappen facing severe penalty for Belgian GP
Max Verstappen holds a sizeable lead in the drivers’ championship heading into the 14th round of the F1 season around the famous Spa-Francorchamps track.
Max Verstappen’s chances of a successful Belgian Grand Prix weekend may be dealt a blow, with the Dutchman set to take a grid penalty for the race.
Heading into the race weekend, Verstappen had already used four internal combustion engines (ICE), turbochargers, MGU-Hs and MGU-K units, as well as two control electronics and energy stores.
It placed the Dutchman on the brink of a grid drop, which RacingNews365 understands Red Bull has now opted to take for the event at Spa-Francorchamps.
For the race weekend, Verstappen will be fitted with a new ICE.
As a result, he is set to start the Belgian Grand Prix 10 places further back on the grid than he will qualify.
Spa has often served as a destination for teams to take a deliberate engine penalty due to the high probability of overtaking around the 7.004km circuit.
Verstappen enters the race weekend holding a 76-point lead in the drivers’ championship ahead of Lando Norris – that lead will likely now be further reduced heading into the summer break.
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