Verstappen leaves door open to late-season engine penalty

Max Verstappen has not ruled out taking a grid penalty before the end of the 2026 Formula 1 season, with six rounds still to come. The Red Bull driver said the team has no set timing for a change that would trigger a sanction.

Verstappen has so far avoided an engine-related grid penalty this year, but is using his final penalty-free allocation of the internal combustion engine, turbocharger, MGU-K, energy store, control electronics and exhaust systems. He has also used five of the six permitted power-unit ancillary components; a penalty applies once the tally reaches seven.

Verstappen says a penalty remains possible

Asked whether a penalty could be required during the closing rounds, Verstappen said it was a possibility, but stressed that no date had been identified. The team will monitor the situation as the season progresses.

That leaves the risk open despite Verstappen’s recent results: he has won the last two races, in Sepang and Singapore. His 2026 campaign has, however, already included two power-unit-related retirements. A coolant leak ended his race in China, while an engine failure at the start in Monaco forced him out on lap one.

Hadjar and Lawson have already taken penalties

Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar has already taken a five-place grid drop in Malaysia after receiving a new ICE. He then started from the pit lane in Singapore after changes to his ICE, turbocharger, exhaust and power-unit ancillary component.

At the Italian Grand Prix, Liam Lawson took a penalty covering every component and started from the back of the field. Lawson was deputising for the injured Hadjar at the time, so the penalty counted against Hadjar’s car allocation.

Verstappen’s position is therefore different from that of his team-mate: he remains within the penalty-free allowance for the listed components, but has reached the final permitted example of each. If Red Bull needs to install another component beyond the allowance, a penalty could follow. For further background on Verstappen’s season with the team, see our earlier coverage of his 2026 campaign and Red Bull’s strategy at the Austrian Grand Prix.