Fourth F1 driver gets huge grid penalty for Belgian GP

Fernando Alonso is the latest driver to take a grid penalty at Formula 1’s Belgian Grand Prix. 

Two-time world champion Alonso has had a fourth energy store, fourth control electronics unit, and sixth power unit ancillary component fitted to his Aston Martin.

These changes have exceeded Alonso’s permitted allocation for all three components and will result in him taking a grid penalty. 

Given Aston Martin’s lack of competitiveness during a miserable 2026 season, it is unlikely to affect his starting position for Sunday’s grand prix at Spa-Francorchamps. 

Alonso is the fourth driver to take a grid penalty at Spa this weekend. 

McLaren confirmed on Thursday that Lando Norris would get a 10-place penalty for moving onto a fourth battery of the season, meaning the reigning world champion will start no higher than 11th on the grid in Belgium. 

On Friday, it was confirmed that Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Lance Stroll would also serve grid penalties. 

Hadjar has taken a new internal combustion engine, turbocharger and exhaust, resulting in the most significant penalty that will see him start from the back of the grid, unless Red Bull elects to start him from the pitlane instead. 

Such a move would open the door for further changes to be made to Hadjar’s car. 

Aston Martin driver Stroll has a new MGU-K for the weekend, triggering an automatic 10-place grid penalty. Like Alonso, Stroll’s penalty is likely to be less severe than Norris and Hadjar’s. 

The Silverstone-based squad is bracing for one more painful weekend in Belgium before its long-awaited B-spec car is introduced at the Hungarian Grand Prix. 

"I think it is in line with expectation,” Aston Martin’s trackside engineering chief Mike Krack said after Friday practice. "We knew this track was going to be probably the hardest of all.

"We need to be realistic. You know we're quite far off. The positions you gain are from attrition but there's nothing to fight for in terms of result. I think it would be quite naive to think you can do something like that. For that we are too far off.”

Krack added: “We did not get demotivated by that. We need to do our homework and wait for the time when you have a quicker car.

"Our people have done a good job trying to optimise it as much as we can. It's little steps that when you have a quicker car, they are more rewarding than now in terms of position but, as I said, you still have to be on it for the day we have a quicker car.

"We still have two cars. We try to do our best, try to execute well, and make the right decisions."