A penalty will be imposed on Max Verstappen for his actions during the Belgian Grand Prix.
It has been reported that Red Bull will be accepting an engine penalty at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend, as Christian Horner had previously cautioned about Max Verstappen having to face such a situation during the year.
With Max Verstappen facing a grid penalty this weekend, Lando Norris is poised to receive another advantageous push towards his Formula 1 championship aspirations.
Verstappen has exhausted his allocated quota of engine components for the year due to a power unit malfunction earlier in the season, as drivers are restricted to using only a specified number.
Earlier this month, the team principal Christian Horner acknowledged that a penalty was inevitable for the Dutchman during this season. He stated that “it’s simply a matter of selecting when to strategically implement it.”
It has been agreed that Red Bull’s best option to minimize harm this weekend is by accepting a penalty. Verstappen will be racing with a fresh internal combustion engine (ICE) at Spa-Francorchamps, resulting in a 10-position grid drop.
Despite his qualifying speed, he can only achieve a maximum of 11th on the grid. This is encouraging for McLaren driver Norris who remains determined to compete with the Dutchman for this season’s drivers’ title.
As the Belgian GP approaches, the British driver trails the reigning champion by 76 points. However, after a second-place finish in Hungary last weekend and Verstappen’s collision with Hamilton during their podium battle resulting in him finishing fifth, Norris was able to reduce this gap slightly.
If Norris hadn’t followed team orders to allow Oscar Piastrito take the win, he would have scored 15 points more than Verstappen. However, McLaren instructed him to do so as his favorable tire strategy had allowed him to unfairly undercut his teammate in the pit lane during the race. Thus, Norris ended up scoring only eight points above Verstappen.
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Verstappen’s penalty in Belgium has presented Norris with a chance to narrow the gap between himself and his title rival. Despite this setback, the 24-year-old remains confident that he can catch up to the Red Bull racer as there are still 11 races left in 2024; moreover, McLaren is presently performing better than any other team on track.
When asked about the possibility of a title win, he responded by stating that it would be unwise to rule out such a chance. However, he acknowledged the significant lead currently held by his opponents – approximately 70 to 80 points – and understood why many might assume victory is improbable. Nevertheless, they remain determined to persist in their efforts and ensure every opportunity for success is taken advantage of.
When Max and Red Bull underperform, make errors or crash during races, there’s a prime opportunity to capitalize on these moments. With many chances arising in the future, I strongly believe that it is still feasible for us to win. Despite acknowledging its ambitious nature previously, as individuals and collectively as a team we are not afraid of facing this challenge head-on. My mental state has been positive thus far; hence I declare myself ready for whatever transpires ahead.”
