FIA slam F1 star with astonishing 60-PLACE grid penalty at Belgian Grand Prix

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FIA slam F1 star with astonishing 60-PLACE penalty at Belgian Grand Prix

An F1 star has been dealt a major blow to their Belgian Grand Prix

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 27 July 2024 08:57 Updated: 20:34

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An F1 star has been slammed with an astonishing 60-place grid penalty for the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Penalties at Spa are a frequent occurrence, with the circuit providing plenty of opportunities to overtake if a driver receives a grid drop.

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At the 2022 Belgian GP Max Verstappen climbed from 14th on the grid to take a race victory, in a spectacular display.

The Dutchman has opted to use a fifth internal combustion engine this weekend, which exceeds his allotted allowance over one season, and will take a 10-place grid drop on Sunday.

Max Verstappen will receive a 10-place grid penalty

Spa is renowned for its overtaking opportunities

Yuki Tsunoda to start at the back of the grid at Spa

Verstappen is not the only driver who will take grid penalty for the grand prix, with RB’s Yuki Tsunoda receiving an astonishing 60-place grid drop.

The Japanese driver is on his fifth Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), Turbo Charger (TC) Motor Generator Unit - Heat (MGU-H) and Motor Generator Unit - Kinetic (MGU-K), exceeding his allowance.

Furthermore, he will use his third Energy Store and Control Electronics, opting for a full change to his power unit.

Yuki Tsunoda will receive a 60-place grid penalty

The use of each additional element incurs a 10-place grid penalty, culminating in a 60-place drop in total.

However, the Sporting Regulations detail that if a driver accrues ‘more than 15 cumulative grid position penalties [they] must start from the back of the grid.’

Whilst Tsunoda will start the grand prix at the back, Verstappen can start no higher than 11th depending on where qualifies on Saturday.