AUSTIN, Texas — Three of Formula 1’s young drivers will face a tougher challenge when the lights go out at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday.
Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, Arvid Lindblad of Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, and Franco Colapinto from Alpine are all facing grid drops at the United States Grand Prix due to their respective teams changing components beyond the allotted number for a given season.
For Bortoleto, Audi has replaced both the Energy Store (ES) and the Control Electronics Unit (PU-CE) on his challenger, requiring a 20-place drop at the United States Grand Prix. As noted by the race stewards in the decision, the “use of each additional element in this case carries a ten grid place penalty therefore is an accumulation of 20 places.”
Bortoleto is using the fourth ES of the season, while three are allowed under the F1 Sporting Regulations. This is also the fourth PU-CE Bortoleto is using this season, again one more than the three allowed for under the F1 Sporting Regulations.
As for Colapinto, he is in a similar boat as Bortoleto, and is taking a new PU-CE for the United States Grand Prix. As this is the fourth he is using this season, it will require a ten-place grid drop for the race on Sunday.
Turning to Lindblad, the VCARB driver is taking a new Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) for the United States Grand Prix, requiring a five-place grid drop on Sunday.