Source: REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
[Saba Sports News] Max Verstappen of Red Bull
Racing encountered a setback during the recently concluded Australian Grand
Prix, hindering his pursuit of the 2024 championship. Apart from withdrawing
early in the race, Verstappen was compelled to replace his power unit,
potentially resulting in penalties from the International Aerospace Federation
(FIA). According to regulations, drivers are allowed to replace each component
of the power unit four times and the exhaust system eight times during a
season. Any additional changes beyond these limits incur grid penalties. Prior
to the Australian Grand Prix, Verstappen had already replaced his exhaust
system, meaning he is now on his third set for the season. This situation
increases the likelihood of him facing penalties from the FIA. The power unit
failure not only ended Verstappen’s streak of 43 consecutive races with both
finishes and points, which is second only to Hamilton’s record of 48 races, but
also prevented him from equaling his own 10-game winning streak set in
Melbourne. The last time Verstappen withdrew from a race was during the 2022
Australian Grand Prix.