A third penalty-to-win drive at Spa for Verstappen will be his toughest yet · RaceFans

Over his three championship seasons to date in 2021, 2022 and 2023, Max Verstappen took at least one grand prix victory at 23 different circuits.

But out of all of them, the one venue where has looked the most supreme has been Spa-Francorchamps.

Three races, three qualifying sessions topped, three grand prix victories. And he won Spa’s only sprint race so far, last year. But while it would be easy to put his victories down to unmatched superiority of his Red Bull, the world champion was made to work for his wins the last two years.

For each of the last two Belgian Grands Prix, Verstappen has been the fastest driver in qualifying but started Sunday’s race well outside of the top ten. In 2022, Red Bull opted to take a fourth power unit for Verstappen’s car heading into the opening practice session.

Verstappen incurred multiple power unit component penalties and was theoretically ordered to start from “the back of the grid”. However, due to six other drivers earning the same penalty across the weekend and as Verstappen set the quickest time in qualifying, he actually lined up 14th, then went on to gain several places in the race to win.

Last year, Verstappen was the fastest on Friday to set the grid for Sunday’s grand prix once again. But for the second straight season, he started off the front row – this time because of a gearbox penalty. As a result, he started from sixth on the grid rather than pole, but was still able to climb up the order to take the lead by lap 17 from his team mate.

Verstappen’s penalties in consecutive years at Spa were not just coincidence, but by design. Due to the limitations on how many power units each driver is permitted to run over a season, many drivers will end up exceeding the four power units or five gearboxes they are allowed under the 2024 regulations. The world champion has already used all four of his power units allowed this season and ten rounds still remain, so it’s a near-certainty that Verstappen will have to take a grid penalty hit at some point before Abu Dhabi.

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Of the remaining venues, Spa is the obvious choice. One of the fastest circuits on the calendar, the boost from a fresh engine is far more effective here than it would be if a new engine was taken at Zandvoort, Singapore or many other upcoming tracks. The long straights at the track also offer plenty of overtaking opportunities, with the premier spot located along the Kemmel…