Olly Darcy is an editor at GPblog, specializing in Formula 1 news. With a background in sports journalism, he delivers timely and reliable coverage of the sport.
Max Verstappen faces another potential blow in his increasingly difficult task to chase down the McLaren pair of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at the Italian Grand Prix.
The four-time world champion comes into the 16th race weekend of the season on 205 points, 104 behind championship leader Piastri.
The Australian saw his lead at the top of the drivers' standings extend after his seventh win of the season at the Dutch Grand Prix, while teammate Lando Norris did not finish due to a reliability issue, allowing Verstappen to take second place in front of his home fans.
Max Verstappen finished in P4 to open up his weekend at the Italian Grand Prix
Engine changes incoming for Verstappen and others
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However, a potential step back could be on the way for Verstappen after a promising P4 start to his weekend in Monza in the first free practice session.
The Dutchman will see a brand new engine put into his RB21 for the race weekend around the iconic Italian track. However, it is not yet clear if a penalty will be given to the 27-year-old and Red Bull, as this will be the fourth new engine for Verstappen in 2025.
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It is not just a new internal combustion engine that is being replaced for Verstappen on his RB21; a new turbocharger, motor generator unit-heat (MGU-H), motor generator unit-kinetic (MGU-K), and exhaust system will all be added.
Esteban Ocon, Alexander Albon, Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto will also have all these changes made to their respective machines. Pierre Gasly and his Alpine will have all but one of these changes, with a brand-new MGU-K not being added for this weekend.
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