There are times when the penalties in F1 are more than noticeable, although in practice they just mean you come out last. There are only 20 cars, but you can get more penalty slots for changing and exceeding the number limit per year of the different elements that make up the hybrid power unit of the cars. This is what happened to Yuki Tsunoda at the Spa. To the Japanese 60 penalty spots have been dropped for the starting grid of the 2024 F1 Belgian GP this Sunday.
The Japanese put his on board 5th combustion engine (the limit is 4 and there are 10 penalty spots for adding one more), the 5th turbo, 5th MGU-H (electrical energy generator from exhaust gases), 5th MGU-K (energy generator from braking), 5th battery and 5th Electronic Control Unit. Using any more elements than allowed in a year results in a 10-position penalty.
So in total, by installing 6 new elements of his power unit, all of which exceeded the limit allowed for a whole year, Tsunoda was penalized 60 places on the Spa grid.
Where does Tsunoda come from with 60 penalty positions?
Obviously there weren’t 60 positions on the grid to put Tsunoda in that far spot, as there were only 20 cars. He would just be placed at the bottom, in last place, in 20th place.
At Silverstone, Pierre Gasly has already received a similar penalty for changing many elements of his power unit, reaching 50 penalty positions at the last British GP.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
