Will Red Bull take engine penalties? F1 Belgian GP talking points

Red Bull to take fresh engines?

The last two races weren’t only damaging in terms of points lost in the championship, but also Red Bull's engine allocation for the rest of the season.

Crashes for Max Verstappen at Silverstone and then Sergio Perez in Hungary - both were caused by Mercedes drivers - resulted in power unit damage.

This means both drivers will have to take fresh power unit components at some stage in the second half of the season.

When will Red Bull take fresh engines?

This weekend at Spa could be likely given how easy it is to overtake, making the 10-place grid penalties easier to recover from.

Hypothetically, with both Red Bull drivers serving grid penalties for new engines and Valtteri Bottas dropping five places on the grid after causing the Lap 1 carnage in Hungary, it could be one of Lewis Hamilton’s easiest weekends. 

Hamilton’s momentum 

After going five races without a victory, a record-breaking eighth title looked like it was going to be an unrealistic achievement for Hamilton in 2021.

Things change so fast in F1 as just two races later, Hamilton holds an eight-point lead over Verstappen. 

If the aforementioned scenario occurs with Red Bull taking fresh engines, it could be an open goal for Hamilton to open up his lead in the championship.

Hamilton hasn’t quite made the most of Verstappen’s misfortune - wins were there for the taking in Azerbaijan, Britain and Hungary, but he failed to do so. 

If another presents itself at Spa this weekend, Hamilton has to take it.

Ricciardo’s 200th grand prix

Daniel Ricciardo celebrates his 200th Formula 1 grand prix this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.

While the Australian is enduring a difficult year, Ricciardo still has been one of the sport’s finest drivers since the turn of the V6 hybrid era in 2014.

Ricciardo’s stunning first year for Red Bull saw him finish third in the drivers’ championship and effectively forced four-time champion teammate Sebastian Vettel out of the team.

A switch to Renault for 2019 didn’t work out, although, in 2020, a couple of rostrum appearances showed Ricciardo is still one of the very best.

Form is temporary, class is permanent - I am sure Ricciardo will get back to his best soon. Whether that will be at Spa this weekend, it’s unlikely given his form so far in 2021.

Ferrari’s engine upgrade

Ferrari is set to introduce a “significant” power unit upgrade and with Spa and Monza being power circuits, it is the perfect time for the Italian team to introduce it. 

Over the summer break, team boss Mattia Binotto said:  “We will bring a power unit development,” Binotto said. “To clarify the regulations for 2021, you may have a brand new power unit in 2021. It means you can bring an update in all components of the power unit – the ICE, turbo, MGU-H, batteries, MGU-K etc.

“What we made at the start of the season, we didn’t complete the entire power unit development so there are still components which are the ones of last year. We will bring an evolution of those ones. That will be for us, a significant step for the end of the season. But more important for us, it will be experience in view of 2022.”

Charles Leclerc will need a new power unit after his was damaged by Lance Stroll on the opening lap of the Hungarian Grand Prix, while Carlos Sainz - like the Red Bull pair - will be hit with a grid penalty should he take a new engine.

With Ferrari and McLaren level on points in the constructors’ championship, this could tip the balance of power in the race for third.

Looming driver announcements

With the summer break out of the way, we’re getting into the usual point in the season where teams tend to confirm their line ups for the following campaign.

The big one yet to be decided - at least officially - is the second Mercedes seat alongside Lewis Hamilton.

Cheekily, the FIA has decided to put George Russell and Valtteri Bottas together as the first pairing for Thursday’s drivers’ press conference at Spa.

Outside of Mercedes, Red Bull still has to confirm Verstappen’s teammate for 2022, although Sergio Perez is likely to remain with the team. 

Could we be set for some driver announcements this weekend? Let’s wait and see.