Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda will incur grid drop penalties for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix for exceeding the maximum number of power unit components they may use.
Red Bull have fitted Verstappen’s fifth internal combustion engine of the season at Spa-Francorchamps. Verstappen will therefore start 10 places lower than he qualifies on Sunday for the breach of regulations.
Tsunoda has a complete new power unit this weekend. He has therefore incurred multiple penalties, triggering a rule which means he must start Sunday’s grand prix “from the back of the grid”. Unless any of his rivals also earn the same penalty over the rest of the weekend, Tsunoda will start last on the grid no matter his qualifying results.
Spa-Francorchamps is a popular venue for teams to take strategic power unit penalties. As a high-speed circuit, the performance boost from a new power unit is stronger than at circuits with a slower average lap speed. The long straights also offer more natural overtaking opportunities at Spa than many other circuits, which make the prospect of moving through the field more viable than most tracks.
It is the third consecutive season where Verstappen has been hit with a component-related grid penalty in Belgium. He received the same ‘back of the grid’ penalty in 2022 for exceeding his three power unit allowance that season, but started 14th on the grid after several other rivals did the same.
Last year, he qualified on pole but dropped to sixth on the grid after a five-place penalty for exceeding his gearbox allowance. In both 2022 and 2023, Verstappen went on to win the race despite his grid position.
Verstappen and Tsunoda are not alone in taking new power unit components for this weekend. Esteban Ocon and Alexander Albon have have also installed their fourth power units of the season, but as that falls within their allowed allocation in the season, they do so without incurring any penalties.
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2024 Belgian Grand Prix
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