Max Verstappen reacts to looming grid penalty at Spa with ‘lots of unknowns’ verdict

With an engine replacement and a 10-place grid penalty looming on the horizon, Max Verstappen has reacted to his opportunities for success during this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen’s RB20 is in need of an engine change, and it appears as if Spa-Francorchamps will be the venue where that change will take place. With “lots of unknowns” heading into the weekend, though, Verstappen won’t make any guarantees of success.

Max Verstappen: ‘Most likely it will be here’

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Speaking to media ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen was asked about his potential incoming 10-place grid penalty which will result from a necessary engine change.

“I knew of course that it is coming, so that’s not a surprise to me,” he said.

When asked if Spa-Francorchamps will be track where he can overcome that penalty, though, Verstappen seemed skeptical.

“Well, we’ll find out on Sunday of course how good that is going to be,” he said.

“Some tracks naturally are a bit better than others. Of course, on a street circuit, you wouldn’t want to have an engine penalty. So yeah, most likely it will be here.”

Just last year, a 10-place grid penalty would not have been much of a detriment to the obviously dominant Red Bull Racing team, but 2024 has been shaping up to be a much different beast. Verstappen has failed to win the previous three Grands Prix, giving McLaren and Mercedes a chance to gain race-winning confidence.

Verstappen knows that. He also knows that in a Grand Prix, anything can happen.

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“If you look at our last few races where we haven’t been particularly been the fastest, I wouldn’t say that with 10 places extra, we have a chance of winning,” the Dutch champion admitted.

“But again, a race can always be turned upside down within moments.

“You have to be open minded, try to make the best of it. That’s what we’ll try to do.”

Verstappen pointed to several variables that could either help or hinder the Red Bull team’s push for a win, including Spa’s notoriously fickle weather.

“At the moment, I also don’t know how competitive we are going to be here because a few places also there’s new tarmac, so we need to see how the tires respond to that as well,” he said. “Still a lot of unknowns.

“Also the weather — [there’s] quite a bit of rain expected on Friday and Saturday.

“So, yeah. Just need to follow the weather and just get impressions throughout the weekend and see how competitive we are.”

Despite a handful of messy races, Verstappen still leads the World Drivers’ Championship by 76 points over second-placed Lando Norris — but every driver from every team will be hungry to end this race on a high before we head into summer shutdown.

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