Each Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda shall be beginning additional again than they want when the lights exit Sunday on the 2024 Formulation 1 Belgian Grand Prix. Each drivers have seen modifications made to their vehicles outdoors the allowed variety of parts for a single F1 season, and penalties are coming their means.
Verstappen’s penalty was anticipated and has been coming for a number of weeks now, ever since Crimson Bull made modifications to his RB20 forward of the Spanish Grand Prix. That week the crew put in a number of new parts on his automobile, together with a brand new inner combustion engine (ICE), a brand new turbocharger (TC), a brand new motor generator unit-heat (MGU-H), and a brand new motor generator unit-kinetic (MGU-Okay).
All of these have been the fourth of 4 such parts allowed with out penalty all through an F1 season.
It was confirmed on Friday that Crimson Bull put in a brand new ICE on Verstappen’s RB20 forward of the Belgian Grand Prix, and underneath Article 28.3 of the FIA Sporting Rules, he’ll face a ten-place grid penalty.
The explanation many anticipated Verstappen and Crimson Bull to make such a change this week is that the crew has usually made such modifications — and incurred a penalty within the course of — for strategic causes. Overtaking at Spa is a bit simpler than it’s at different circuits, and at every of the 2 earlier Belgian Grands Prix Verstappen took the same penalty and managed to win the race. Within the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix Verstappen certified on pole, however a sequence of penalties because of new parts noticed him begin the race in 14th place. He nonetheless received that yr.
In 2023 Verstappen certified in pole place however took a five-place grid drop for brand new engine parts. He began sixth after capturing pole place however once more received the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix.
As for Tsunoda, Visa Money App RB F1 Group made a bunch of modifications to his RB01, together with a brand new ICE, a brand new TC, a brand new MGU-H, and a brand new MGU-Okay. The crew additionally modified his power retailer and management electronics.
As all of these parts are above the quantity allowed for a single season, Tsunoda will begin in the back of the grid. Technically, with Tsunoda taking six new parts his penalty is a staggering 60-place grid drop. However with solely 20 vehicles on the grid he shall be on the again, irrespective of how nicely he qualifies.
