The 2024 Belgian Grand Prix will mark the beginning of the month-long summer break in Formula One but the last race of the first half of the season has just been made very interesting as table-topper Max Verstappen is likely to be handed a 10-spot penalty on the grid in the upcoming race.
According to a report by The Mirror, Red Bull will be replacing the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) of Max Vertappen’s car for the race at the Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps which would result in the Dutchman being handed a 10-grid penalty for the race.
Earlier this month, Team Principal Christian Horner had announced the team’s intention of replacing the unit and said they would have to do it ‘strategically.’ The team has likely noticed their struggles in recent outings with McLaren being the fastest car on the grid. The Hungarian Grand Prix was truly one of a kind which saw Verstappen finish fifth after a collision with Lewis Hamilton.
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Friction was heard between the team and Verstappen on the radio making it a feisty encounter. It will be interesting to see if McLaren can cash in on the advantage that the team has been handed by Verstappen being demoted in the grid on Sunday.
Lando Norris is currently sitting 76 points behind Verstappen on the Drivers Championship standings. Although a shot at stopping the Dutch driver from winning his fourth consecutive Championship may seem improbable, Norris has stated that the team will ‘keep fighting’ to make it happen.
“I know a lot of people are going to say that there’s no chance, but we’re going to keep fighting and I’m going to give myself the best opportunity to do so,” he explained. “Especially when you see Max and Red Bull, not performing so well, making mistakes, crashing. You want to make the most of those opportunities and plenty more can happen in the future,” said Norris to Sky Sports on Wednesday.
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Sunday’s race will be significant for Red Bull not just in terms of the points table, but it could also be the last time that motorsport fans will see Sergio Perez drive for Red Bull with reports indicating that the team will be having a tough conversation during the upcoming break with the Mexican having consistently underperform in a championship-winning car.
Perez’s disappointing results have helped other teams catch up on Red Bull Racing in the Constructors’ Championship with McLaren being only 61 points behind them in second place.
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