Max Verstappen to suffer major setback in Spa with imminent new engine penalty

Max Verstappen is set to face a 10-place grid penalty in the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver has opted to use a new Internal Combustion Engine for the race at Spa-Francorchamps and therefore will incur a significant grid penalty.

Verstappen had already used the permitted four ICEs (Internal Combustion Engine), MGU-Hs, MGU-Ks, turbochargers, and two energy stores and electronics. Opting for a new one ahead of the Stavelot race triggered the monumental penalty.

Max Verstappen is set to start his race 10-place behind his qualifying position on Saturday. This could be a major blow to Red Bull in their battle against McLaren in the Constructors' Championship.

McLaren has been catching up to Red Bull in the championship of late. Verstappen, Red Bull's only challenger in the championship, starting from further back would compound the challenges in their title defense.

The defending champions are currently in the lead with 389 points after 13 races. Lando Norris, meanwhile, is in P2 with 338 points. One can expect them to trim the gap even further as Norris and Oscar Piastri are in good form, whereas Sergio Perez is finding it hard to settle down.

That said, this is unlikely to give Max Verstappen a huge headache as the Dutchman is currently 76 points ahead of his nearest championship rival, Norris. Even if Verstappen, with 265 points, finishes the Belgian GP without a point, and Norris, with 189 points, takes 25 and the fastest lap points, the former will still have a 50-point lead.

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Max Verstappen was furious after the Hungarian GP, says Marko

Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL38 Mercedes on track ahead of Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on July 21, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

Following an underwhelming conclusion at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen was extremely unhappy as he finished the race in P5. Speaking to "F1-Insider", Marko claimed that Verstappen was upset with the result.

"Max is really angry,” Marko told F1-Insider. "We now have to make sure that his mood improves again. Our car has to improve again. Unfortunately, the updates didn’t work the way we wanted them to.”

"Now it's about improving the car again and giving Max a good feeling. Then he will have no reason to think about a change. Tempers will calm down again. He is the best driver in Formula 1. He makes the difference. He also knows that we know that," Marko added.

With the P5 in Hungary, Max Verstappen has gone winless in three straight races for the first time since 2021. He has had four non-podium finishes in 12 races this season, after having just one in 22 races last year.