'Verstappen grabs his first grid penalty of the season at Belgian GP'

Max Verstappen is going to incur his first grid penalty of the season this weekend. This is what De Telegraaf reports. According to the newspaper, the Dutchman changed to his fifth gearbox, costing him five spots on the grid for Sunday's GP.

Last year in Belgium, the two-time world champion also picked up a grid penalty for changing parts on his engine. He had to start from 14th place in the first race after the summer break, meanwhile driving himself to victory relatively easily.

Earlier this year, Verstappen's gearbox broke down during qualifying for the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. Taking this penalty reduces the risk of a broken gearbox, and the Dutchman does not have to worry for now. Teammate Sergio Perez does not pick up a grid penalty; he is currently sitting on four gearboxes.

Verstappen's penalty does not affect the sprint race, so only the feature race will be affected. So for the sprint race, the 44-time race winner can just start from first place, as long as he drives the fastest time in the sprint shootout. With a five-place penalty, Verstappen's maximum starting position for the main race is sixth.