Max Verstappen will have a five-place grid penalty for the Monaco Grand Prix as Red Bull have changed his gearbox.
A new gearbox was fitted following his crash in the final practice session. Gearboxes are required to complete six consecutive events between changes, which Verstappen’s has not done, meaning a penalty will be automatically applied.
This article will be updated.
2018 F1 season
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hahostolze (@hahostolze)
26th May 2018, 14:01
Verstappen (verb) – to let it all slip when looking in a prime position. Often due to carelessness, bad risk judgement or over-confidence.
schooner (@schooner)
26th May 2018, 14:08
The gearbox regulations still baffle me. Why do they not simply say, like the rest of the PU components, that you are allowed 3 or 4 gearboxes per season before penalties are applied, use them as you will.
Sonics (@sonicslv)
26th May 2018, 15:25
@schooner Because gearbox limit rule is from way before engine limit rule. It’s a separate rule from the hybrid engine component limitation.
Pinak Ghosh (@pinakghosh)
26th May 2018, 15:24
What a shame!! Red Bull car was in a different league.
John Toad (@)
26th May 2018, 15:32
Pity we can only say that about one of their drivers.
Agris Rūmītis
26th May 2018, 17:47
that 5 position sound plain stupid in this occasion, he’s gonna be last on start anyway, what does this punishment mean after all ? – they can’t get him starting from swimming pool anyway
Jason S
27th May 2018, 3:54
Agreed. He is starting from the back of the grid at the discretion of the race organisers anyway. A 5 place grid penalty is completely meaningless. He should get a 5 spot penalty at the next race. Then it means something. A loophole in the rules I guess.
NS Biker (@rekibsn)
26th May 2018, 18:32
Problem and …. opportunity.
Problem for Max, starting at the back, opportunity for us to see what magic he can do …. starting at the back.
Yep, the glass is at least half full.
Just might make it worthwhile to get up at 4:30 am (Pacific time-zone in the Great White North).
medman (@medman)
26th May 2018, 18:59
The only way Max has a chance to get to the front in a race like Monaco (or most other races, for that matter) is a timely safety car (or two) that works in his favor, or rain which mixes strategy and falls in his timing window more so than it does others. Outside of that, he will stretch and strain to pass backmarkers, who, especially on the streets of Monaco, will make their cars very wide leading to Max’s frustration and perhaps another crash.
Tarheelpup
26th May 2018, 20:01
I’m calling it as either Max crashes out on lap 1 or crashes with a backmarker trying to make an impossible pass, probably at Mirabeau.
Green Flag (@greenflag)
26th May 2018, 22:19
Based on his track record (pun intended) there’s a strong probability of Max crashing into something in the first 10 laps.
ZUKMaN
26th May 2018, 20:28
They should just put completely new PU in his car then since he will start dead last anyway.
stjs16 (@stjs16)
26th May 2018, 20:58
I wondered about engine change too. I guess they would want to wait for Canada spec upgrade though.