Formula 1 News: Verstappen Bracing for Bad News on Power Unit as Grid Penalty Looms
June 2023, Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen is preparing for potentially devastating news regarding his Formula 1 power unit, with Honda increasingly likely to confirm that the Dutch driver has lost one of his allocated engines. This development could have significant implications for Verstappen’s championship campaign, particularly with the Red Bull driver embroiled in a tight battle with McLaren for race victories.
The issue originated in Montreal earlier this month when Verstappen was forced to abort his second practice session due to a suspected problem with his energy recovery system. While the initial concerns were electrical, there were fears that the issue could have caused more extensive damage to the rest of the power unit, specifically the internal combustion engine.
The power unit in question, Verstappen’s third of the year, was introduced that morning in Canada and has since been flown to Honda’s headquarters in Sakura, Japan, for analysis. Two weeks have passed without a positive update, and it appears increasingly likely that the internal combustion engine is beyond repair.
“I think it’s more important to just figure out what actually happened and what kind of implications that will have for this weekend or the rest of the year.”
With the Canada engine still under inspection, Red Bull was forced to introduce its fourth power unit at last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix to ensure a sufficient pool of components for forthcoming practice and races. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner explained, “We introduced it to the pool, while the Canada engine has been returned for inspection to Japan.”
Should Honda confirm that the power unit cannot be reused, Verstappen will be forced to take his fifth power unit soon, triggering an automatic 10-place grid penalty. Horner believes this outcome is now inevitable, stating, “We’d have to see how it plays out over the coming races, but I think it’s inevitable that we’ll take the next engine at some point.”
Red Bull has experience in navigating grid penalties, often opting to take them at races where overtaking is easier, such as the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Verstappen has taken grid penalties at Spa for the past two seasons, emerging victorious from P6 on the grid last year and coming through to first from P14 in 2022. However, with Red Bull not enjoying the same performance advantage as in previous years, repeating such dramatic progress may prove more challenging this time around.
A grid drop for Verstappen would be a significant boost for McLaren and Lando Norris, which has emerged as Red Bull’s most consistent challenger so far. Should Verstappen incur a grid penalty, McLaren could capitalize on the opportunity to take a substantial points haul off its rival. Stay tuned for further Formula 1 news and updates on this developing story.
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