Verstappen makes final penalty-free power unit change in Spain · RaceFans

Max Verstappen will face the threat of a grid penalty over the remainder of the 2024 season after Red Bull changed his power unit again in Barcelona.

The championship leader has moved onto his fourth different power unit. He has reached the maximum limit drivers may use in the 10th round of 24.

Some of the power units he has run will be available for re-use at later rounds. However Verstappen is now likely to face a 10-place grid penalty at some point over the remaining 14 rounds.

Red Bull experienced a problem with one of Verstappen’s power units during practice for the Canadian Grand Prix two weeks ago. He was forced to stop running while the team investigated the fault.

Verstappen is not the only driver who is currently at the threshold for a penalty. Alpine driver Pierre Gasly has also had a fourth Renault power unit installed in his car ahead of this weekend’s event.

While Charles Leclerc has not moved onto his fourth complete power unit, he has taken his fourth MGU-H, and will incur the same penalty if he uses a fifth.

Valtteri Bottas has already received a grid penalty for exceeding the maximum number of energy stores and control electronics.

Verstappen has been hit with a component-related grid penalty over each of his three successful championship campaigns. He was forced to start from the back of the grid at the Russian Grand Prix in 2021 for taking a fourth power unit of the season, but climbed up to the podium during the race.

He received the same penalty the following year at Spa-Francorchamps, but successfully recovered to win the race. Last year, he had five-place grid penalty for using a fifth gearbox of the season, again at Spa-Francorchamps.

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Power unit components used so far