Red Bull

Verstappen facing penalties as Honda confirm Red Bull's worst fears

Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale Thursday 26 August 2021 18:25

Honda has confirmed both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have lost their second power units due to irreparable damage, leaving the Red Bull duo facing near-certain penalties at some stage this F1 season.

Verstappen initially thought his second engine had been spared after his high-speed, 51g crash at Silverstone following an incident with Lewis Hamilton as it was used in Hungarian Grand Prix practice before Red Bull noticed cracks ahead of qualifying.

Ahead of this weekend's Belgian GP, Honda has revealed the issue is too severe to repair.

Perez was then involved in the first-lap chaos at the Hungaroring triggered by Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas, leaving his second PU also too severe to salvage.

To restrict costs, each driver is permitted to use three power units across what is still expected to be a 23-race calendar.

This means both drivers will be using their final power units of the season with the likelihood of 12 races still remaining on the schedule.

Any additional engines fitted will bring grid penalties and the potential to skew the championship fight in favour of Mercedes and Hamilton.

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Verstappen facing penalties as Honda confirm Red Bull's worst fears

Verstappen facing penalties as Honda confirm Red Bull's worst fears