- The Red Bull star was reportedly warned by the team about his gaming behaviour.
- Max Verstappen stayed up late playing online the night before the Hungarian GP
- Verstappen also receives a 10-place grid penalty at the Belgian GP
Max Verstappen is reportedly set to receive a 10-place grid penalty at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix after Red Bull decided to take the penalty instead of installing a new combustion engine.
The reigning Formula 1 world champion has been told by the biggest garage that he will no longer be allowed to play video games late into the night before a race, as he did on the eve of the Hungarian GP, where he crashed with Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen is currently going through a difficult period in the season, despite leading the race for the world championship. He has now gone three races without a win, just before the race at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday.
He faces an uphill battle to end that streak at his favourite Belgian circuit after the FIA handed the Red Bull driver a grid penalty for installing a different engine, reports The times.
The championship garage has already used four internal combustion engines this season and installing a fifth would mean a starting penalty would have to be taken.
Max Verstappen will receive a 10-place grid penalty this weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix
Verstappen has also been told by the leading garage that he is no longer allowed to stay up late playing video games the night before a race.
The reigning Formula 1 world champion is still without a win in three races heading into the weekend
This means that Verstappen can start in the best possible position ten on the grid, but the penalty means that he will be ten positions behind where he finished in the qualifying session on Saturday.
Verstappen currently holds a 76-point lead in the standings for the Belgian GP and has won his last three stages at the circuit.
Meanwhile, the 26-year-old has also been told not to stay up late playing his video game simulator the night before a race, as was the case in Budapest.
Verstappen was up until 3am on Sunday morning playing Sim Racing, a popular racing simulation game, and had a terrible afternoon at the Hungaroring.
He finished fifth after being involved in a collision with Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen was furious with his team and the race management throughout the 70 laps.
Verstappen currently holds a 76-point lead at the top of the drivers’ championship ahead of the Belgian GP
The 26-year-old regularly plays sim racing late into the evening, as he did before the Hungarian GP
Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko revealed that discussions have been held with the star in which he has been told he will no longer be allowed to participate in late-night gaming sessions.
‘Max Verstappen was quite sensitive this weekend and it didn’t take long before criticism came. No wonder, because he spends half the night sim racing,’ he said in his column for Speedweek.
‘I have to say that in Imola he didn’t go to bed until three in the morning after a sim racing session — and then he won the Grand Prix. Max has a different sleep pattern and he had his seven hours of sleep.
‘His late-night sim performance in the Hungarian weekend was only possible because a driver from his team had dropped out. However, we agreed that he would not run simulations at such a late hour in the future.’