If there are no last-minute changes to the plans, Max Verstappen will use the fifth internal combustion engine of the season at Spa. The decision is due to the change in programming following the failure of the third (new) engine during the FP2 session in Montreal.
The unexpected event forced the team to review the entire power unit rotation plan, and the Spa round became a forced choice to introduce the fifth unit. The Belgian track lends itself to comebacks, much more than the following round in Zandvoort, a home track where Max certainly has no intention of starting the weekend with a handicap to serve.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
For Verstappen, Spa seems to be an uphill race. In 2022, he took pole position but was forced to start from fourteenth on the grid due to a power unit replacement.
Last year, after always taking pole position, Max was penalised for five positions for a gearbox change. In both cases Verstappen went on to win the race. It is not yet clear what strategy Red Bull will go with this weekend.
Replacing just the thermal unit would limit the penalty positions to ten, but based on the course of the weekend it could be decided to replace the other elements as well. In this case the start will be from the back of the grid.
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