Sainz hit with 20-place grid drop at Suzuka

Carlos Sainz Jr. is poised to start this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix from the back of the grid after the Formula 1 race stewards at Suzuka confirmed a 20-place grid drop for the Spaniard.

Toro Rosso took three new power unit elements for Sainz's car ahead of opening practice at Suzuka on Friday, with a sixth MGU-H, a fifth internal combustion engine and a fifth turbocharger amounting to a 20-place drop.

The FIA stewards confirmed the penalty on Friday morning just as FP1 began at Suzuka following the technical delegate's review of the grid in scrutineering the previous day.

The penalty proved to be just the first setback for Sainz on Friday morning, with a hefty crash during first practice in Japan bringing out a red flag, leaving his Toro Rosso team with a significant repair job to complete ahead of second practice later in the day.

Sainz finished the session 17th-fastest after the crash, albeit still ahead of Toro Rosso teammate Pierre Gasly, who was a further three-tenths of a second behind.