Yuki Tsunoda will start the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix from the rear of the field after RB chose to give him an all-new engine for this weekend’s race at Spa.
Motorsport.com understands that Tsunoda – who was on the limit of his allocation allowed in the rules for all engine parts except exhausts – has been given the fresh Honda power unit as part of the common practice of taking penalties at tracks where overtaking is easier, such as this.
Also in the Red Bull stable, Max Verstappen is expected to take a new internal combustion engine this weekend after he lost a brand-new example of this part when his then-new engine at the Canadian GP was damaged in an FP2 electrical systems problem.
Verstappen will drop 10 places on the Spa grid as that is the penalty for changing just the ICE element alone, while Tsunoda’s engine pool parts being expanded by an all-new engine means he will be required to start at the back of the grid, per F1’s rules.
In the other RB, Daniel Ricciardo is on the same number of used engine parts as Tsunoda and is also on the verge of a grid penalty for taking any more (bar on exhausts, too). But the Australian is not set to get a new engine at Spa at this stage.
“Yuki will start at the back here, with a fifth PU [of the season],” RB racing director Alan Permane said at Spa. “[On Ricciardo] we’ll certainly wait and see what happens in the next couple of races.”
There is much interest in the results of the RB drivers this weekend, with Red Bull set to make a call on whether to replace Sergio Perez at its main team, with Tsunoda, Ricciardo and reserve driver Liam Lawson all being considered.
When asked on Thursday how critical the Spa weekend was for his future, Tsunoda replied: “Well, I guess, for Red Bull drivers except Max all races are critical. Just got used to it and just do my normal race.
“If you see [my] previous races, since race one it's quite clear how much I prove in the tracks. Amount of Q3 appearances, amount of points taken in each tracks – I think I've proved enough, you know.
“Obviously, this race will be important as well. See how it goes, but yeah.”
