Lando Norris gets major F1 title boost as Red Bull forced into making Max Verstappen decision

LANDO NORRIS has received a immense boost to his Formula One rubric bid aft it was revealed that Max Verstappen volition person a grid penalty.

The McLaren operator closed the spread to his Red Bull rival down to 47 points astatine the Mexico Grand Prix with conscionable 4 contention weekends to go, starting with this weekend's contention and sprint successful Brazil.

However, Norris' rubric hopes person received a large boost going into the play aft it was revealed that the Dutchman volition beryllium taking a grid punishment astatine Interlagos.

Following unconfirmed reports astir taking a caller engine, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has present confirmed Verstappen volition person a caller powerfulness portion fitted.

It comes aft the three-time satellite champion experienced motor issues astatine the Mexico City contention past weekend, with Marko revealing determination was a leak successful the engine’s intake tract.

While drivers are fixed an allowance for caller motor parts crossed the play owed to wide deterioration and teardrop and imaginable crashes, the caller powerfulness portion volition autumn extracurricular of the allowance.

Verstappen has already taken the maximum allocation of 4 allocated turbochargers, MGU-H, and MGU-Ks, arsenic good arsenic 2 vigor stores and power electronics.

And that means that portion the 27-year-old should beryllium granted a boost successful show from the caller parts, helium volition person to combat his mode done the tract pursuing a grid driblet successful Sao Paulo.

Marko told Speedweek: "The gait was besides not close due to the fact that the motor occupation meant that a antithetic motor had to beryllium installed, which had reached the extremity of its beingness and was really nary longer planned for racing.

"That was 1 of the reasons wherefore we were 1 of the slowest cars connected the straights. When a Formula 1 motor has reached a definite fig of kilometres, the nonaccomplishment of show is intelligibly noticeable.

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"We are presently investigating whether we could usage the motor with the leak again. But present too, the fig of kilometres means that it is nary longer planned to beryllium used.

"All of this means that we cannot debar changing the motor successful Brazil, with the corresponding penalty."

Verstappen antecedently served a 10-place punishment successful Belgium for taking an wholly caller powerfulness unit.

While the afloat scope of the punishment has not been confirmed, taking a caller interior combustion motor volition spot Verstappen instrumentality a five-place grid drop.

Meanwhile, taking a caller turbocharger, MGU-H oregon MGU-K constituent volition trigger a further 10-place penalty. A afloat motor alteration would spot the Dutchman commencement astatine the backmost of the grid.

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Any punishment volition use solely to Sunday's diagnostic race, meaning Verstappen volition not beryllium penalised during Saturday's Sprint race.

Last weekend's contention successful Mexico saw Verstappen handed a 20-second clip punishment for moving Norris disconnected track, portion the week anterior had seen Norris handed a five-second punishment successful a akin situation.

Mercedes operator George Russell has said 19 retired of the 20 drivers privation the racing guidelines to beryllium instantly clarified with a caller wording pursuing inconsistent exertion of the rules.

Meanwhile, the Sao Paulo circuit has been wholly resurfaced for the contention after a £22million investment.

Organisers person besides confirmed the moving of a peculiar tribute lawsuit for Ayrton Senna 30 years connected from his death, with Lewis Hamilton acceptable to tally a thigh successful the Brazilian's 1990 McLaren car.