The FIA have confirmed that Max Verstappen has taken a
new engine which means the Dutchman will shortly receive a grid penalty.
The internal combustion engine is Verstappen’s sixth of the
season, two more than the allocation, and is going to see him be given a grid
penalty of five places.
Max Verstappen takes new engine as grid penalty looms
Verstappen’s troubles with his engine in Mexico suggested an
additional one was always likely but the question was when would Red Bull
choose to take it.
That question has now been answered with Interlagos, a
circuit where overtaking is possible, being an ideal venue to try and recover
from a five-place grid penalty.
Drivers are allocated four internal combustion engines per
season and this is the second time Verstappen has exceeded that allocation. A
first offence carries a penalty of 10 spots while every subsequent break is
only five.
While it makes winning a lot harder, Verstappen does not
actually need to be on the top step for any of the final four races to ensure
he keeps hold of his title. Second place Lando Norris must outscore the
Dutchman by 12 points per weekend to move ahead meaning even if Norris is first
in Brazil, Verstappen needs to just finish on the podium to prevent Norris from
doing that.
There is of course a sprint race this weekend which is unaffected by Verstappen’s penalty. With a maximum of eight points on offer, Verstappen could make Norris’ task even harder where he to finish ahead in Saturday’s event.
.webp)
