Three drivers have received grid penalties ahead of the 2026 United States Grand Prix, with Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad all set to lose starting positions at the Circuit of the Americas. The FIA has confirmed that the penalties result from changes to power-unit components that exceed the permitted seasonal allocations, dealing a significant setback to the three drivers before qualifying in Austin.
The biggest penalty has been handed to Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto, who faces a 20-place grid drop and will consequently be required to start from the back of the field. Alpine’s Franco Colapinto has received a 10-place penalty, while Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad will lose five positions. All three sanctions will be applied to the starting grid for Sunday’s United States Grand Prix.
Gabriel Bortoleto receives 20-place grid penalty at United States GP
Gabriel Bortoleto faces the most difficult task of the three penalised drivers, with the Brazilian effectively condemned to start from the rear of the grid regardless of his qualifying performance.
The Audi driver, who is still searching for his first championship points since the Belgian Grand Prix, has been handed a cumulative 20-place penalty following the replacement of two power-unit components on his R26.
Audi has fitted Gabriel Bortoleto’s car with a fourth energy store, which forms part of the electrical energy storage system, and a fourth control electronics unit. Both components exceed the permitted seasonal allocation of three, triggering separate 10-place grid penalties.
Because the two sanctions are cumulative, Gabriel Bortoleto receives a total penalty of 20 grid positions. Under the Formula 1 regulations, a driver whose power-unit penalties exceed 15 positions must start from the back of the grid, making the Brazilian’s task particularly demanding at Austin.
Franco Colapinto handed 10-place grid penalty after Alpine component change
Franco Colapinto will also face a difficult challenge at the United States Grand Prix after Alpine introduced a fourth control electronics unit for the 2026 season.
As with Gabriel Bortoleto, the Argentine has exceeded the permitted allocation of three control electronics units. However, because Franco Colapinto has only one additional component beyond the regulatory limit, his penalty is restricted to 10 grid positions.
The sanction means that Franco Colapinto will start Sunday’s race considerably further back than his qualifying result would otherwise allow, creating an additional obstacle as Alpine looks to improve its competitiveness during the closing stages of the championship.
Arvid Lindblad receives five-place penalty for sixth F1 engine
Arvid Lindblad has received the smallest penalty of the three drivers, although Racing Bulls has also exceeded the permitted allocation of power-unit components.
The British driver will use his sixth internal combustion engine of the 2026 Formula 1 season, two more than the maximum allocation of four permitted under the regulations.
However, the rules distinguish between the first occasion on which a driver exceeds the allocation of a particular power-unit component and subsequent replacements.
Arvid Lindblad had already exceeded his internal combustion engine allowance earlier in the season. Consequently, fitting a sixth engine represents a further infringement involving the same component type, resulting in a five-place grid penalty rather than the 10-place sanction imposed for the first additional unit.
How the 2026 F1 power-unit grid penalty rules work
Formula 1’s sporting regulations establish limits on the number of power-unit components each driver may use during a championship season. Exceeding those allocations triggers grid penalties designed to discourage unnecessary component replacements.
The first additional component of a particular type carries a 10-place grid penalty, while subsequent additional components of that type result in five-place penalties. When more than one component exceeds its allowance during the same event, the sanctions are added together.
That distinction explains why Gabriel Bortoleto has received a 20-place penalty for two separate components, Franco Colapinto has been penalised 10 positions for one additional control electronics unit, and Arvid Lindblad faces only a five-place drop for a further internal combustion engine.
The penalties add another complication to the 2026 United States Grand Prix weekend, particularly for Gabriel Bortoleto, whose qualifying performance will not be enough to avoid a start from the rear of the field.
With the United States Grand Prix qualifying session scheduled for Saturday in Austin, the final starting order will depend on the qualifying classification and the application of the confirmed grid penalties.
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