Hamilton unable to use engine after Zandvoort, grid penalty inevitable

Lewis Hamilton can no longer use his Mercedes engine after it broke down during the free practice at Zandvoort. Because of this, he will have to accept a grid penalty sometime this season, just like Max Verstappen.

This will allow for the bizarre scenario of both title rivals starting from the last row, possibly as early as Monza. The teams will keep a close eye on each other to see what the other does. Hamilton's situation looks a bit rosier than Verstappen's, though: Hamilton was driving with the oldest engine in his pool, while Verstappen's was just new.

For both drivers, however, they only have two engines left, and the big question is when they will decide to switch to a new one. In the first place, the teams will want to wait for the qualifying. If something goes wrong there, they will decide to change to a new engine anyway.