Three-time world champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing’s impeccable dominance has come under threat this year, with rivals such as Ferrari, McLaren, and even Mercedes gaining lap time with each passing weekend. Verstappen has already lost over four races this year, with RB also losing grip over constructors standings.
While the RB20’s issues are being fixed back at the Milton Keynes factory, the engine troubles are also being monitored by Honda in Japan. Sergio Perez has exceeded his yearly limit at the British Grand Prix. And now, if Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is to be believed, Max Verstappen is also likely to face sanctions soon.
Max Verstappen Unlikely To Escape 10-Place Grid Penalty!
Dark clouds continue to hover around Red Bull Racing as they are struggling to keep rivals at bay this F1 season. The 2023 season dominance is nowhere to be found, as McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes have won multiple races in the first half alone. While Max Verstappen continues to hold a comfortable lead in the world championship, Red Bull is losing in constructors. And to add to the misery, Verstappen is expected to lose one more race later in the year without a fault of his own. Apparently, Max’s power unit, installed in the Canada Grand Prix, broke down on the same day, and Honda’s reports suggest that the damage is beyond repair.
Hence, Max Verstappen will need a new power unit at some point. While engine swaps are not uncommon in Formula 1, FIA has set a certain limit to it. The yearly limit to switch power units without any penalty is four, and Verstappen has already exhausted that limit in Montreal. And now that Honda is unable to repair the damage, the defending world champion will be asking for a fifth power unit, which will lead to a 10-place grid penalty. That means even if Max gets the pole on the weekend, he takes his fifth engine, and the Dutchman will still have to start the race from P10 on Sunday. Meanwhile, team principal Christian Horner confirmed the same and stated that a penalty for Max is inevitable at this stage. “It’s just a question of when you choose strategically to do that,” Horner said after the British Grand Prix.
Verstappen Deems Lack Of Pace Big Factor In Red Bull’s Slump
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen revealed that Red Bull is losing pace every weekend, and the British Grand Prix results could have been much worse had the strategy team failed to make the right calls. Max added that going for hards on the final stint helped him finish P2 by beating Lando Norris on the final few laps.
Not only that, Max Verstappen stated that he lost hopes of a podium mid-race and aimed for a P5-P6 finish. However, chaos erupted due to rain, which helped Red Bull gain places with the right strategy calls. “It could have been a lot worse, but with making the right calls, we still got onto the podium,” Verstappen said at Silverstone.
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