Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda will incur grid drop penalties for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix for exceeding the utmost variety of energy unit elements they might use.
Purple Bull have fitted Verstappen’s fifth inside combustion engine of the season at Spa-Francorchamps. Verstappen will due to this fact begin 10 locations decrease than he qualifies on Sunday for the breach of rules.
Tsunoda has a whole new energy unit this weekend. He has due to this fact incurred a number of penalties, triggering a rule which suggests he should begin Sunday’s grand prix “from the again of the grid”. Until any of his rivals additionally earn the identical penalty over the remainder of the weekend, Tsunoda will begin final on the grid irrespective of his qualifying outcomes.
Spa-Francorchamps is a well-liked venue for groups to take strategic energy unit penalties. As a high-speed circuit, the efficiency enhance from a brand new energy unit is stronger than at circuits with a slower common lap velocity. The lengthy straights additionally provide extra pure overtaking alternatives at Spa than many different circuits, which make the prospect of transferring by the sector extra viable than most tracks.
It’s the third consecutive season the place Verstappen has been hit with a component-related grid penalty in Belgium. He obtained the identical ‘again of the grid’ penalty in 2022 for exceeding his three energy unit allowance that season, however began 14th on the grid after a number of different rivals did the identical.
Final 12 months, he certified on pole however dropped to sixth on the grid after a five-place penalty for exceeding his gearbox allowance. In each 2022 and 2023, Verstappen went on to win the race regardless of his grid place.
Verstappen and Tsunoda usually are not alone in taking new energy unit elements for this weekend. Esteban Ocon and Alexander Albon have have additionally put in their fourth energy items of the season, however as that falls inside their allowed allocation within the season, they accomplish that with out incurring any penalties.
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