F1 News: Max Verstappen Suffers More Engine Issues As Penalties Loom

In a disheartening development for the Red Bull Racing team, Max Verstappen encountered more engine trouble during the first and only free practice session in Austria leading to a red flag incident. The Dutch Formula 1 champion was seen stalling on a straight, an issue that was later traced back to the car's Energy Recovery System (ERS) and potential electrical problems affecting the internal combustion engine.

This comes as the driver faces an upcoming ten-place grid penalty as he has already used up his power unit allowance for the year, which is set at four. Verstappen also faced issues during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.

The first problematic unit, freshly installed, failed during FP1 in Canada. Following this failure, the engine was promptly removed and shipped to Honda’s technical center in Sakura, Japan, for a thorough analysis, aiming to pinpoint the exact technical mishaps and prevent future occurrences.

The stakes are particularly high for Verstappen, as he has already reached his F1 regulatory limit of four internal combustion engines after the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this season. Introducing a fifth engine into the mix would automatically result in a 10-place grid penalty under F1’s current regulations. This is a significant challenge, considering the tight competition in this year’s championship.

Luckily, Verstappen has been able to get back out on track in Austria after returning to the pits during the Red Flag. The Austrian team has since posted an update to social media, writing:

"Message from the garage - 'no concerns, a minor issue we can recover from'"

Message from the garage 📣 - “no concerns, a minor issue we can recover from”#F1 || #AustrianGP
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) June 28, 2024