Hadjar and Stroll Join Norris with Spa Grid Penalties

Isack Hadjar will start from the back of the grid at the Belgian Grand Prix after Red Bull fitted his car with a fifth internal combustion engine, turbocharger, and exhaust system, pushing him well beyond his permitted seasonal allocation. He joins Lando Norris and Lance Stroll in taking power unit penalties at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend, scrambling the expected starting order at one of Formula 1's most iconic and challenging venues.

Why it matters:

Grid penalties at Spa are nothing new, but Hadjar's punishment stands out for its severity. The Frenchman loses a total of 30 grid positions for exceeding his component limits, locking him into a last-place start regardless of how he performs in Saturday qualifying. The timing could hardly be worse for Hadjar, who had just built genuine momentum with five consecutive top-six finishes and must now abandon any front-row ambitions in favor of a damage-limitation strategy from the rear of the pack.

The details:

• Hadjar's triple component change guarantees he will line up at the back of the 22-car grid, though he remains hopeful that Spa's legendary slipstreaming opportunities will offer a path forward on Sunday.
• Teammate Max Verstappen has also taken a fresh engine, turbocharger, and exhaust but remains within his allocation, allowing the Dutchman to avoid penalties entirely.
• Lance Stroll faces a 10-place drop for a new MGU-K on his Aston Martin, though the team had already anticipated a difficult weekend at a circuit that rarely plays to their car's strengths.
• Reigning world champion Lando Norris was confirmed Thursday to be serving a 10-place penalty after McLaren installed a fourth power electronics unit, a consequence of repeated failures across the opening nine rounds that left the team with little choice.

What's next:

Hadjar has already shifted his focus entirely to race day, telling Canal+ that qualifying performance is now secondary and the absolute priority is maximizing raw race pace. Spa's long straights and numerous passing zones give all three penalized drivers a realistic shot at climbing back into the points, but their progress will depend heavily on whether their teams can deliver the straight-line speed and reliability needed to make overtaking stick over 44 laps.