Max Verstappen will see his Red Bull now have a new engine before the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix following a post-qualifying investigation
Red Bull have changed the engine of Max Verstappen’s car after a disappointing third finish in the qualifying as Mercedes lockout the front row. Verstappen was using the same power unit since his crash with Lewis Hamilton at the Silverstone.
Honda came out and said that they are witnessing some issues with the power unit and have removed the engine for further inspection at their Sakura facility in Japan. They have replaced this engine with another one of the same specifications.
Max Verstappen opts for new engine ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix
He will start the Hungarian GP from the third position with no penalties incurred after changing the engine before the race day. Red Bull feels that the power unit is acting strangely after a disappointing crash with Lewis Hamilton in the first lap of the F1 British Grand Prix.
A PU swap for Max post-qualifying 👇 He maintains his P3 grid position 🇭🇺 #PoweredByHonda pic.twitter.com/HC0pxltx85
— Honda Racing F1 (@HondaRacingF1) August 1, 2021
It will be interesting to see how the new power unit performs with no time for modifications and trial of the new engine. Verstappen will have to find the balance after finishing the disappointing third behind Bottas and Hamilton as Mercedes lockout the front row.
Verstappen’s new engine is his third and therefore last penalty-free engine available in his pool before penalties are applied. If he changes another engine after this he will be penalized with penalty points on his license for changing engines.
He currently leads Lewis Hamilton in the Driver’s Championship by 8 points in the closest-ever Formula 1 season. Hamilton on the other hand has crucial momentum going into the Hungarian Grand Prix after winning the ultimate race at Silverstone.
Red Bull and Mercedes are involved in a subtle rivalry as both the teams want to finish this season as champions but the only one can triumph. At the moment, Verstappen faces a daunting task ahead of the race of Sunday with him starting in third whilst Lewis Hamilton will be commencing in pole position.