Red Bull and Max Verstappen will likely face another grid penalty in this season’s finale, possibly as soon as the United States Grand Prix, which is set to take place this weekend Austin. The Dutchman has already used up his allocation of internal combustion engines (ICE), having unlocked an additional one during the Spa-Francorchamps weekend. With six races left, it seems highly probable that another component will need to be replaced on the #1 RB20.
The first part of the season took a significant toll on Max Verstappen’s car. Several reliability issues, linked to the cooling system and electrical failures, forced Red Bull to use a fifth ICE starting at the Belgian Grand Prix. This additional swap, beyond the four allowed by the regulations, resulted in a ten-place grid penalty.
Starting from the United States Grand Prix in Austin, there are still six races remaining. Added to these are the Sprint Races in Texas, Brazil, and Qatar, which will significantly impact the wear of the Power Unit components. For this reason, it’s likely that Red Bull will need to serve another penalty in the coming weekends.
In this case, the regulations offer a “penalty reduction”: after exceeding the limit of four ICE units, a sixth component results in a five-place grid penalty instead of ten. This is an important factor in Verstappen’s potential recovery, and the penalty could be served during the upcoming triple-header.
Austin and Interlagos, due to their track layout, seem the most likely candidates. However, McLaren’s role could also be significant: Lando Norris has reached the regulatory limit for every Power Unit component. For Norris, any penalty would result in a ten-place grid drop, which could offer a crucial advantage for Red Bull and Max Verstappen.
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