Charles Leclerc's World Championship starts again uphill due to the new hybrid engine mounted on his Ferrari.
The Monegasque will in fact go into penalties and in the Belgian Grand Prix he will be forced to start from the bottom like his rival for the title Max Verstappen who, like the Ferrari driver, has decided to replace both the power unit and the gearbox.
Leclerc and Verstappen dominated the first two free practice sessions but, thanks to their handicap, the second lines of Ferrari and Red Bull will have a chance to win on the legendary circuit of Spa-Francorchamp with Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez who will not show up for now. on the track with new engines.
Opportunities also for the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, given in continuous growth after the new rules on 'porpoising'
(i.e. the hopping of the single-seaters caused by aerodynamic oscillations, ed) for which on the Belgian track there is a check on the wear and stiffness of the bottom and who does not fall within the parameters risks disqualification.
The choice of the Maranello house in Spa, 'copied' later by Red Bull, was probably the best as the next Dutch GP, in Zandvoort, does not give many overtaking opportunities and at the same time a fresh power unit was needed to face two probative commitments on the engine side such as Spa and Monza.
Esteban Ocon and Lando Norris also start from the back of the grid, arriving at the fourth engine: the two will run with all the elements of the new power unit.
Back in the grid for the same reason Valtteri Bottas with the sixth engine and Mick Schumacher.
A day at Spa that began with news in the air for some time: the German car manufacturer Audi will make its Formula 1 debut in 2026 as an engine manufacturer.
The four-ring brand will develop its hybrid engine in Neubourg-sur-le-Danube, Bavaria, and partner with an F1 team.
This partnership, to be announced by the end of the year, could end with Sauber, which currently runs under the Alfa Romeo name and is powered by Ferrari.
"I am delighted to welcome Audi, an iconic automotive brand, pioneer and technology innovator to Formula 1. This is an important moment for our sport, which highlights the tremendous strength we have as an ever-growing global platform - commented F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali - The
Audi's entry is also a great acknowledgment that our move to sustainable-fueled hybrid engines in 2026 is a future solution for the automotive industry.
We are all eager to see the Audi logo on the starting grid and will receive further details on their plans in due course. "