Max Verstappen’s recent troubles are likely to go from bad to worse as the Dutchman will take a 10-place grid penalty at the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix. However, the one thing that may not hamper his chances much to fight for the championship this year is the 76 points advantage he currently has over second-placed Lando Norris, who seems to be in the form of his life.
According to RacingNews365, the Dutchman will use a new internal combustion engine (ICE) for the race in Spa which is one over the permissible limit. The news outlet reports he will also use new turbochargers, MGU-Hs, and MGU-K units, as well as two control electronics and energy stores.
Since Red Bull will exceed the permissible limit for Verstappen, he will drop 10 places from wherever he qualifies in Spa this weekend. Moreover, with Red Bull already struggling to fight McLaren and Mercedes for wins in recent races, this 10-place grid penalty is likely to hurt Verstappen severely.
Max Verstappen set to take engine penalty in Spa, according to @Racingnews365c
He will receive a new ICE, which will result in a 10 place grid-penalty for the reigning World Champion.
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Hence, the agenda of the race in Spa for Verstappen and Red Bull is likely to be damage limitation. With Red Bull and Verstappen struggling, Norris and McLaren have an outstanding chance to close the gap in both the Drivers’ and the Constructors’ Championships.
Norris confident about chasing down Verstappen in the championship
After the results of the Hungarian GP, the gap between Verstappen and Norris is 76 points. It’s still a massive advantage for the three-time champion. However, Red Bull aren’t as dominant as they were in the last couple of seasons. This is exactly what is giving Norris the faith to chase Verstappen down toward the end of the season.
As quoted by Sky Sports F1, the Briton said, “I know it’s like 70, 80 points that I got to catch up. So I know a lot of people are going to say that there’s no chance, but I mean, we’re going to keep fighting and I’m going to give myself the best opportunity to do so. So, yes, I think it’s still on.”
