Max Verstappen has revealed that he expects to receive an engine-related grid penalty later in the 2026 Formula 1 season following a power unit problem at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver was forced to use the final available power unit components within his season allocation in Baku after encountering an engine issue during qualifying. Although the replacement solved the immediate problem, Verstappen still managed to deliver a strong recovery drive on Saturday, finishing second behind George Russell and narrowly missing out on his first victory of the season.
Because the new components were still within Verstappen’s permitted allocation, he avoided a grid penalty in Azerbaijan. However, the Dutchman admitted that his remaining power unit components are unlikely to last through the final seven or eight races, meaning a penalty could eventually become unavoidable.
Speaking before Red Bull had made a final decision on whether to introduce another engine, Verstappen explained how badly the qualifying problem affected his weekend.
“Already in Q1, I had an issue with the engine,” Verstappen said. “That meant I was losing at least half a second compared with my teammate, and it only became worse as qualifying continued.”
The reigning world champion described his Q2 and Q3 sessions as particularly difficult, making it clear that Red Bull had identified a significant power unit problem.
“In Q2 and Q3, it was a complete disaster,” he explained. “So I think we clearly have a problem with the engine.”
Verstappen added that the team immediately noticed something was wrong during the opening phase of qualifying, although it was initially unclear what had caused the issue.
“In Q1, we immediately saw there was a problem,” he said. “At that point, you still think, ‘What could it be? Is the engine too cold or actually too hot?’ All of those things are possible because everything is very sensitive nowadays.”
Despite the qualifying setback, Verstappen produced a strong performance in the race to secure second place. However, with Red Bull facing another potential power unit change, the Dutchman now appears likely to accept a grid penalty at some point during the remaining races of the season.
