F1 News: Max Verstappen Takes 5-Place Grid Penalty For Belgian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen takes a penalty ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.

Two-time F1 champion Max Verstappen has taken a five-place grid penalty for the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday after exceeding the number of gearboxes allocated per season.

Drivers are allowed to use four gearboxes per season and Red Bull has confirmed this morning that they have decided to give the Dutch driver his fifth, knocking him down five grid places after qualifying later today. This comes after multiple complaints from the driver throughout the earlier stages of the season about problems with downshifts.

However, unsurprisingly with this seasons sheer dominance of the Red Bull RB19 Verstappen is not concerned. The two-time champion drove from P14 to take the victory at the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix, adding to his confidence that he can pull off a similar drive this time around. Speaking to the media ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, he explained:

“I think we have a quick car.

"Of course, there are a lot of other teams and I think they brought a lot more than us this year, because we couldn't.

“But we are very happy with how the car is performing. Our Saturday is maybe not ideal, but I think on the Sunday you can see the upgrades we brought. It [Hungary] was a good race to see it working.”

The race weekend at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit hosts another sprint race. So, today will host the first and only Free Practice session followed by qualifying a few hours later, which will determine the starting grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday. Saturday will feature the Sprint Shootout followed by the Sprint Race.

Verstappen has won nine out of the first eleven races of the season and currently has a 110 point lead on his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.