Max Verstappen quizzed on looming grid penalty amid Honda engine investigation

Red Bull mechanics working on Max Verstappen’s RB20

Max Verstappen was asked about the possibility of having to take a grid penalty later on this season, after a power unit inspection revealed he is unlikely to have the full complement of parts for the year.

A problem in FP2 in Canada saw Verstappen have to return to the pits with a suspected ERS issue, and a report claimed the part may have to be scrapped from the pool of parts for the rest of the season.

Max Verstappen responds to possible grid penalty at upcoming F1 2024 race

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Should that be the case, Verstappen would be left with fewer parts with which to fight the World Championship this season, making the possibility of having to breach his allocation more likely – and a subsequent grid penalty would follow as a result.

When asked about the issue after arriving at the Red Bull Ring, the three-time World Champion is still waiting to hear for official confirmation about what has happened to that part and whether it will be usable again – but acknowledged that it did not look in the best shape at the time.

“No, not yet,” Verstappen told media including PlanetF1.com in Austria when asked if he had heard from Honda following the inspection of the parts.

“At the time, it was not looking great. Not necessarily the engine itself but just a situation, and I’m just waiting to see what comes out of it.”

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When asked what sort of circuit at which he would consider taking a penalty in future, Verstappen was not keen to give the game away, replying: “I’m not going to tell you – makes everyone smarter.”

Red Bull will be splitting with power unit partners Honda at the end of 2025, when they will be beginning their own foray into creating their first Formula 1 power units in-house with Red Bull Powertrains – in partnership with Ford from the 2026 season.

Verstappen has been keeping a close eye on developments around the team’s Milton Keynes base, knowing just how critical that element may be heading into a year of mass regulation changes and multiple factory power unit manufacturers, with Honda set to move and partner with Aston Martin.

“I mean, I’m not the one designing the engine but I find it incredibly important to know the basics, basically, and see where the project is headed,” he said of Red Bull’s current efforts.

“The team has hired a lot of good people and, honestly, the only thing that I can say about it is that everyone is pushing flat out to try and make it the fastest engine possible.

“I like to be involved with the discussions and it’s a very exciting project for the whole team. I have no doubt that everyone is trying their very best and we have to wait and see how everything will be, but from what I can see [from] the factory when I’ve been around, they have all the tools that they need to have to make it a success – and hopefully, of course, it will be.”

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