4
All Red Bull and Toro Rosso drivers are set to take grid penalties this weekend in Sochi ahead of Honda's home race in Japan in two weeks.
Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon of Red Bull and Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly are set to lose five positions after qualifying as they will be fitted with new Spec 4 internal combustion engines.
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However, Daniil Kvyat, who is in a different sequence with grid penalties, is expected to start his home race in Russia from the back of the grid for a complete power unit change, excluding the battery.
"Looking at our power unit usage for the rest of the season, in Sochi all 4 drivers will get a new Spec 4 ICE," Honda stated.
"With a different replacement history, Kvyat is changing all elements except the battery. He will start from the back of the grid. The other 3 will get 5 place grid penalties."
At the Belgian Grand Prix, Albon and Kvyat started from the back of the field due to a new power unit, while Verstappen and Gasly took the same penalty one week later in Italy.
The Japanese Grand Prix next month will mark Honda's first home race with Red Bull, as it targets a strong result with the energy drink squad that has two race victories so far this season.
List of power unit components used after the Singapore Grand Prix
| # | Team | Driver | ICE | TC | MGU-H | MGU-K | ES | CE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Red Bull Racing | Max Verstappen | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 23 | Red Bull Racing | Alexander Albon | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 26 | Toro Rosso | Daniil Kvyat | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 10 | Toro Rosso | Pierre Gasly | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
ICE: Internal Combustion Engine
TC: Turbo Charger
MGU-H: Motor Generator Unit – Heat
MGU-K: Motor Generator Unit – Kinetic
ES: Energy Store
CE: Control Electronics
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Replies (4)
Login to replydenis1304
Posts: 284
ah, good old Renault PU
f1fan0101
Posts: 1,804
good decision from honda
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
It might be a good idea to introduce a new engine at a circuit that is less power sensitive. They all probably have a good chance to fight through the pack or die trying, and show who deserves the RB seat starting out on equal footing but one car being better than the other. Should be a fun battle to watch. Kvyat has got to have a little home field spirit there. He's had mixed results there but he's a better driver now. You gotta give Albon at least 1 or 2 more races before he becomes fully comfortable with the car, but he's been able to experience just about every variation of track in these past few weeks. Now it's his time to step up.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Honda is better, but still the most unreliable engine on the grid by some margin