Update from McLaren: gearbox change for Norris, grid penalty unavoidable

After his dramatic qualifying session at Spa-Francorchamps, it was unclear for a long time from which place Lando Norris would be starting on Sunday. Considering the state of his car he ran the risk of having to change both his chassis and engine, thus risking a grid penalty or pit lane start. A new update now confirms that so far only the gearbox needs to be replaced.

Due to the need to replace the gearbox, the driver will be penalised with a five-place grid penalty. Because of this, he will start from the fourteenth place on Sunday. Motorsport just confirmed.

It is also reported that the chassis of the MCL35M of the Briton doesn't need to be replaced after a detailed inspection. This avoids a pit lane start, which the team already feared.

Free swap

Possible damage to the power unit is still being investigated, the team announced. Should the power unit no longer be usable, the team can switch to the engine used in Hungary in order to avoid an extra penalty.