A penalty is coming for Max Verstappen in Formula 1. Now, first place can be even more threatened.
2024 does not at all seem to be the perfect year for Red Bull as previous ones have been. In the stable there is a different atmosphere and the first place of Max Verstappen seems to be more threatened than before. Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc they are there ready for the slightest mistake from the Dutch driver, who will have to serve a penalty in the next races.
It’s impossible not to sanction the team, even if there is still no official information on the matter. Indeed, one wrong move will be enough to receive punishment from the FIA. This can give hope to those who are chasing him and Red Bull in the general classification, even if it will not be absolutely easy to see a turnaround in the immediate future.
Meanwhile, the Austrian GP is approaching with giant steps, which sees an attack Lando Norris with his McLaren ready to chase the Dutch talent. Ferrari, for its part, is dealing with the British team, which seems to have developed a competitive single-seater to say the least and which during the last Spanish GP won the fastest lap and pole position with Norris.
Verstappen, the penalty is ready to overturn everything
These are intense days of work for the engineers and mechanics of Red Bull. McLaren seems to be threatening the times on the track, but when Max Verstappen is driving the car everything seems easier. The Dutch driver, however, will have to face a penalty of five places on the starting grid, which could arrive during one of the next grand prix. At the moment, he is on 219 points in the general drivers’ standings, while Norris and Leclerc are on 150 and 148, but his talent has shown in the past that he is not afraid to start from the back positions.
The turnaround still seems very difficult, but the penalty that Red Bull will face when it replaces the next power unit it will be inevitable. In fact, the Austrian team has reached the maximum limit of engines allowed during the season.
During the Canadian GP a new power unit was fitted to the car, but it managed to cover a few kilometers before a problem came to light. “It will be inevitable to use an additional engine and suffer a penalty,” said Christian Horner during a post-race interview (sportitalia.it). The use of a new PU in Spain was necessary, given that the previous one had not worked at its best.
The final result saw him win over an increasingly aggressive Norris, but the engine will necessarily have to be replaced during one of the next GPs. The challenge at Red Bull’s home, therefore, is important, as the strategy will have to be managed carefully in order to try to maximize the efficiency of the engines that will be used.
