Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen will get a new engine for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix and will lose ten places on the grid as a result.
This is because Red Bull is installing the fifth engine in Verstappen's car this season. Four engines are permitted in the course of a season. World championship leader Verstappen will therefore be moved back ten places for the race on Sunday.
Red Bull and Verstappen already changed the engine at the last two Grands Prix in Francorchamps and accepted a grid penalty. Nevertheless, the world champion won both races. Because the balance of power has shifted to Red Bull's disadvantage in the last few Grands Prix compared to 2022 or 2023, Verstappen does not expect it to be enough to win this time either. "If you look at our last races, we weren't exactly the fastest in them. I don't think we have a chance of winning with a ten-place grid penalty."