Max Verstappen will use a new engine in Formula 1’s Hungarian Grand Prix after the problem that wrecked his final lap in qualifying.
The championship leader qualified 10th after making a mistake on his first run in the top-10 shootout and then experiencing a power unit problem leaving the pits for his second run.
“I just had no power in that final run exiting the pitlane,” Verstappen explained after the session.
“We tried to fix it, but no release. The engine was running, there was no release, and that’s painful.”
Red Bull has opted to give Verstappen a new internal combustion engine, turbocharger, MGU-H and MGU-K for the Hungaroring race.
Verstappen has a 63-point lead in the championship and although nearest rival Charles Leclerc is only third on the grid, an afternoon of damage limitation could be in store.
“It’s going to be a bit tough for me but anything is possible,” said Verstappen.
“A lot of Sundays have shown that already this year.
“But around here it’s hard to pass. We need to stay patient and see what happens.”
Team-mate Sergio Perez also has the same set of changes as Verstappen, as does AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly.
There is no penalty associated with these changes for the Red Bull drivers even though they take place in parc ferme conditions.
But Gasly should be forced to start from the pitlane. He would have had a back-of-the-grid penalty anyway because his changes exceeded his seasonal allocations.
However, the FIA says that AlphaTauri has made Gasly’s various changes without getting prior approval from the technical delegate.
