Formula 1: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to be penalised 10 places on the Belgian Grand Prix grid after exceeding maximum engine capacity | F1 News

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will serve a 10-place grid penalty for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix after exceeding engine capacity; the Dutchman has won the last two races at Spa after grid penalties; Watch the Belgian Grand Prix weekend live on Sky Sports from Friday to Sunday

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will suffer a 10-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix after exceeding his engine limit.

As expected and reported earlier this week, Red Bull have opted to serve what they recently admitted was an “unavoidable” penalty for the world championship leader at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend.

The Dutchman’s car was fitted with its fifth internal combustion unit of the season (one more than allowed by the regulations without penalty) before Friday’s first practice, which will automatically result in a 10-place drop on the grid for Sunday’s race.

This means that Verstappen will not start the Grand Prix from a position higher than 11th.

The reigning world champion has been on the brink of a grid penalty since losing a power unit during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend in June.

Verstappen, who leads the 2024 Drivers’ Championship standings by 76 points from McLaren’s Lando Norris despite failing to win any of the last three races, will now suffer a penalty in Belgium for the third year in a row.

He won the race from 14th in 2022 and then triumphed in 2023 after starting from 6th.

Reporting on the motor penalty scheduled for Wednesday, Sky Sports News Craig Slater said: “It’s a particularly tough test at the moment. He seemed beleaguered and frustrated on the team radio at the last race in Hungary and that’s because other cars are up to the Red Bulls at the moment.

“A couple of years ago Max came through the field from outside the top 10 and last year he took a five-place grid penalty and managed to win from sixth, but surely this year it’s a much tougher prospect for him to come through and win.

“Is he at risk of losing even more of that lead he has over Norris at the top of the drivers’ standings?

“The Red Bull is an efficient car at high speed on straight circuits like Spa, so perhaps they think it still has enough performance to move up the field.”

Sky Sports F1 Belgian GP live schedule

Friday, July 26th
8.50 am: F3 Practice
10 am: F2 Practice
12:00 pm: Free practice 1 for the Belgian GP (session starts at 12:30 pm)
14:00 h: F3 Qualifying
14.55 h: F2 classification
15.45 hours: Belgian GP Free Practice 2 (session starts at 4pm)
17:15 h: The F1 show

Saturday July 27th
8:45 am: F3 Sprint
11.15 hours: Third free practice session for the Belgian GP (the session starts at 11:30 a.m.)
13.10 h: Sprint F2
14.15 h: Pre-qualifying for the Belgian GP
15:00 h: Belgian GP Qualifying
17:00 h: Ted’s report card

Sunday, July 28
7:25 am: F3 Featured Race
8.55 am: F2 Featured Race
10.40 am: Porsche Supercup
12:30 pm: Sunday Grand Prix – Preview of the Belgian GP*
14.00 h: BELGIAN GRAND PRIX*
16:00 h: Chequered flag: reactions to the Belgian GP
17:00 hours: Ted’s notebook

*Also live on Sky Sports Main Event

The action continues this weekend with the final race before F1’s summer break, the Belgian Grand Prix. You can watch every session from Spa-Francorchamps live on Sky Sports F1.

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