Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda will start from further back than they would have liked at the start of the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday after both drivers had more modifications made to their cars than the number of parts allowed in an F1 season. They will be penalized.
Verstappen’s penalty was expected and had been in the cards for several weeks since Red Bull made changes to his RB20 ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, during which the team installed several new components on his car, including a new Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), a new Turbocharger (TC), a new Motor Generator Unit-Heat (MGU-H) and a new Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K).
All of this was the fourth of four elements permitted without penalty throughout the entire F1 season.
It was confirmed on Friday that Red Bull has fitted a new ICE to Max Verstappen’s RB20 ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. FIA Sporting Regulations Article 28.3,he 10th place grid penalty.
Many expected Verstappen and Red Bull to make such a change this week, as teams have often made such changes for strategic reasons and incurred penalties in the process. Overtaking is a little easier at Spa than at other circuits, and in the past two Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen has won the race despite receiving similar penalties. In the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen qualified from pole position, but a series of penalties due to new components meant he started the race from 14th. And yet, he won that year.
In 2023, Verstappen qualified on pole but was demoted five places on the grid due to new engine parts. He started sixth after taking pole position but won the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix again.
Meanwhile, for Tsunoda, the Visa Cash App RB F1 team made a number of modifications to his RB01, including a new ICE, a new TC, a new MGU-H and a new MGU-K. The team also modified his energy storage and control electronics.
All these elements exceed the number allowed per season, meaning Tsunoda will start from the back of the grid. Technically, the penalty for Tsunoda fitting six new components is staggering. 60th place grid dropBut with only 20 cars on the grid, no matter how well he qualifies he is likely to remain at the back of the grid.
