Hadjar, Lindblad and Colapinto set for Bahrain GP grid penalties

Three drivers face grid penalties at Sepang

Isack Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto are set to take grid penalties at this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia after exceeding their power unit component allocations.

Hadjar’s penalty follows a seventh internal combustion engine (ICE) being brought into use, against an allowance of four for the season. The Red Bull driver arrives after celebrating a podium in Baku on his return from injury, but his component usage means he will drop five places on the grid.

Lindblad is set to start from the back of the field. Colapinto, meanwhile, is due to receive a further 10-place drop, adding to an existing five-place penalty.

The Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang has therefore taken on added significance for the three drivers, whose qualifying positions will be affected by their respective penalties.

How the power unit penalty system applies

The first time a driver exceeds the allocation for any power unit element, the penalty is 10 places. A subsequent breach results in a five-place drop, with penalties incurred at the same event applied cumulatively.

If a driver’s penalty exceeds 15 grid places, they must start the race at the back regardless. Hadjar has already gone beyond the limit for every power unit component this season, so his latest breach results in a five-place penalty. Lindblad’s accumulated penalty puts him at the back of the grid, while Colapinto’s additional 10 places take his total to 15.

The distinction between a 15-place penalty and one that exceeds 15 is explicit in the stated rule: the back-of-grid requirement applies when the penalty is greater than 15. Colapinto’s penalty is described as reaching 15 places, rather than exceeding that threshold.

Qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia begins at 16:00 local time on Saturday. The race starts at 15:00 on Sunday at Sepang.