F1, Max Verstappen: penalty in sight

Penalty in sight for Max Verstappen

With just hours to go before the official start of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, some not-so-positive news arrives from the Netherlands for the season’s current ruler, Max Verstappen: the ‘De Telegraaf’, in fact, reports that Red Bull has reportedly decided to once again replace the gearbox on the Dutchman’s car, going over the limit of four and thus causing a post-qualifying penalty.

That would be five positions that Verstappen would lose compared to the result he will get on Friday afternoon, in the session starting at 5 p.m. Italian time: the Dutchman has already shown that he can make a comeback in the race, but the particularity of the Spa circuit means that a start from a back position can be dangerous, especially just after the ‘start’.

The Belgian weekend is the third this season structured to host Saturday’s sprint race: so Friday’s free practice and qualifying for the race, Saturday’s qualifying for the sprint (sprint shootout) and subsequent mini-race, Sunday’s Gp.

Max Verstappen is leading the 2023 F1 World Championship standings without the slightest problem, and he is on his way to winning his third world title: in eleven races he has won nine times by finishing second on the other two occasions, and he also finished on the podium in the two previous Sprint Races, in Azerbaijan (third) and Austria (winner). His championship points total 281, a full 110 more than the current runner-up, teammate Sergio Perez.