15-place grid penalty for Max at Monza

Published on 01 September 2017 by Stefan Meens

Max Verstappen has received a 15-place grid penalty for the Italian Grand Prix after making chances to his RB13’s power unit.

Ten of the penalty points incurred were because the Dutchman switched to his fifth V6 internal combustion engine of his 2017 campaign, with only four allowed per season.

The remaining five penalty points were given because Red Bull Racing also opted to install a new MGU-H, which is part of the hybrid energy recovery system. Similar to the internal combustion engine, only four are allowed per season. Max has now changed to his fifth.

The decision by Red Bull Racing to change these parts of the power unit in Monza, is a tactical one. The Italian high speed track does not suit the characterises of the RB13. However, the next Grand Prix, in Singapore, should suit Red Bull. In an attempt to maximize the result in Singapore, the Milton Keynes based outfit has decided to take the penalties now.

Max is not the only driver with grid penalties this weekend. His team mate Daniel Ricciardo has incurred a 20-place penalty, Carlos Sainz (Scuderia Toro Rosso) will be put back ten places. Fernando Alonso (McLaren) sadly received a 35-place penalty.

Italian GP contest: win a 1:43 halo Italian GP 2016 scale model