formula 1
Line up at the back: penalties for Verstappen and Leclerc in Spa
Best time in training: Max Verstappen. photo
© Dirk Waem/BELGA/dpa
Formula 1 is back from the summer break with a veritable flood of penalties. World championship leader Max Verstappen and also Mick Schumacher have to catch up at the Grand Prix in Belgium.
World champion Max Verstappen and Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc have to queue up at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Mick Schumacher and three other Formula 1 drivers for the race in Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday also received hefty penalties for the unauthorized replacement of engine components. Determining the final starting line-up should therefore become a tricky arithmetic game for the race commissioners after qualifying on Saturday (4 p.m. / Sky).
McLaren’s Lando Norris, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas are also penalized. Because of the scope of the sanctions, theoretically all sinners should be at the bottom at the start.
Because it is usually easier to overtake in a race at Spa, the teams decided to accept the penalties. This gives them fresher engines for the rest of the season. In Formula 1 there have been restrictions on the use of drives for a long time. If the limit is exceeded, a fixed penalty system takes effect.
Verstappen sets the best time of the day
In training on Friday, Verstappen in particular was ready to catch up in the 14th round of the season. The Dutchman raced to the best time of the day and was more than eight tenths of a second faster than Leclerc in second place. Third was Norris. Sebastian Vettel had to settle for 15th place. Mick Schumacher finished last despite a package of new parts for his Haas.
In the overall World Cup standings, defending champion Verstappen is already 80 points ahead of Leclerc. The sanctions against the duo, which shared eleven of the 13 race victories this year, open up opportunities for other competitors at Spa. Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari, Sergio Perez in the Red Bull and Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell should have the highest hopes.