Tsunoda hit with heavy F1 engine penalty for Mexico City GP

Yuki Tsunoda will start this weekend’s F1 Mexico City Grand Prix from the back of the grid after AlphaTauri elected to change his power unit.

Lewis Larkam

27 Oct 2023

Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) AlphaTauri on the gri

The Japanese driver has been consigned to a grid drop penalty for exceeding his allowance of four power units for the season, with AlphaTauri making wholesale component changes.

As well as a fifth internal combustion engine, AlphaTauri have also fitted a new turbo charger, MGU-H and MGU-K to Tsunoda’s car.

Tsunoda has also taken on a third energy store and control electronics, with four allowed throughout the year.

Regardless of where Tsunoda qualifies on Saturday, he now faces an automatic back-of-the-grid start for Sunday, as per F1’s sporting regulations.

The 23-year-old sat out of Friday’s opening practice session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar made his grand prix weekend debut.

Hadjar was one of five young drivers to take part in FP1 in order to meet F1’s mandatory rookie requirement.