The FIA has confirmed that three Formula One drivers will serve grid penalties at the United States Grand Prix after taking new engine components for this weekend's action at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Each car is only allowed a certain number of power unit parts over the course of a season, and any further pieces introduced come with automatic punishments. Given this is the first season of a new engine ruleset, reliability was always likely to be a factor, and that has resulted in many drivers having to take grid penalties.
Penalties Confirmed for Three Drivers
FIA documentation issued on Friday, during the first practice hour of the weekend, confirmed that Arvid Lindblad has had his sixth internal combustion engine of the year fitted. Only four are allowed per season, and so he will be penalised for that. Because it is the second time this year that the British teenager has gone beyond his ICE allowance, the automatic punishment is a five-place grid penalty.
If he adds any more new engine parts to that between now and qualifying, it could take him over the 15-place threshold, which would then be converted to an automatic back-of-grid start in his Racing Bulls.
Bortoleto and Colapinto Also Penalised
Lindblad is one of three drivers already confirmed to be taking a penalty at COTA this weekend. Another is Gabriel Bortoleto, who has also taken a new ICE, but that is only his fourth of the year and within his allowance, and so that is not the reason why the Audi driver faces a grid drop.
Instead, it is because Bortoleto has had a fourth energy store and a fourth set of control electronics put on his car. Only three of each are allowed over a season, and so the Brazilian driver has incurred two 10-place grid drops, which will be converted into an automatic back-of-grid start. Bortoleto has also had a new turbocharger, exhaust set and power unit ancillary unit fitted to his Audi, though all are within his annual allowance.
The other driver penalised is Franco Colapinto, who like Bortoleto has been fitted with a new set of control electronics. It is his fourth set of the season, and so the Alpine driver will serve a 10-place grid penalty.
Gasly's Record and Other Changes
It means that Pierre Gasly is almost certain to continue his remarkable record of starting ahead of his team-mate in Austin. He is the only driver on the grid who has raced at COTA in F1 multiple times who has never been out-qualified by a team-mate, having been faster than the other driver in his team on all seven previous visits.
The FIA document confirms that Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri have also taken a new power unit ancillary component for this race weekend, though both are still within their respective annual allowances and so neither have incurred penalties.
