F1 News: Red Bull, Aston Martin & McLaren handed FIA penalties at Belgian Grand Prix

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Belgian Grand Prix

Red Bull, Aston Martin & McLaren handed FIA penalties at Belgian Grand Prix

These three teams will face major consequences on Sunday at Spa

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Saturday 18 July 2026 07:57

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Three F1 teams will be impacted by a major grid penalty for their drivers at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA have confirmed.

As the track action commenced with two hours of practice on Friday at Spa-Francorchamps, F1's governing body provided an update on which cars would be fitted with new power unit components for the 10th round of the championship.

Lando Norris, Isack Hadjar and Lance Stroll were all among those bringing new parts to Spa, but unfortunately for McLaren, Red Bull and Aston Martin, they all exceeded the permitted amount for the season by doing so.

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As a result, reigning champion Norris and Aston Martin driver Stroll are both set to be hit with a 10-place grid penalty for Sunday's race, which will be added on top of their qualifying position.

Meanwhile, Hadjar will have to start from the back of the grid regardless of the qualifying position he earns on Saturday.

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Why do three F1 drivers have grid penalties at the Belgian GP?

The FIA confirmed ahead of Sunday's main event that Hadjar will start the 10th round of the championship with a new internal combustion engine (ICE).

However, the 21-year-old has already maxed out the four internal combustion engines he is allowed for the 2026 campaign so by taking a fifth for Spa, and by taking a fifth, he is not conforming to the 2026 F1 sporting regulations.

This is also the case for Hadjar's new turbocharger (TC) and new exhaust set (EXH), meaning he will have to start from the back of the grid for the Belgian GP as punishment.

Where Stroll is concerned, the Canadian racer has exceeded the three permitted units this season for the motor generator unit-kinetic (MGU-K), and by bringing a new one to the Belgian GP, he will have to accept a 10-place grid penalty on Sunday.

Finally, an official FIA document confirmed Norris' McLaren has been fitted with a new control electronics unit (PU-CE) for this weekend, making it his fourth of the season.

Once again, as only three PU-CE's are permitted per season, Norris will also be hit with a 10-place grid penalty before lights out at Spa.