Red Bull's Max Verstappen will take a 10-place grid penalty at Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix after exceeding his engine allowance.
As expected and reported earlier this week, Red Bull have opted to serve what they had recently admitted was an "inevitable" penalty for the world championship leader at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend.
The Dutchman's car was fitted with its fifth internal combustion unit of the season - one more than is permitted under the regulations without penalty - ahead of Practice One on Friday, which will trigger an automatic 10-place grid drop for Sunday's race.
- When to watch the Belgian GP on Sky Sports
- Stream every F1 race with NOW Sports Month Membership
- Get Sky Sports F1 | Get Sky Sports on WhatsApp
It means Verstappen will not start the Grand Prix from higher than 11th place.
The reigning world champion has been on the verge of a grid penalty since losing a power unit during June's Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
Verstappen - who leads McLaren's Lando Norris by 76 points at the top of the 2024 Drivers' Championship standings despite not having won any of the last three races - will now suffer a penalty in Belgium for the third straight year.
He won the race from 14th in 2022 and then triumphed in 2023 after beginning from P6.
Reporting on the expected engine penalty on Wednesday, Sky Sports News' Craig Slater said: "It is a particularly stiff test at the moment. He sounded embattled and frustrated on the team radio in the last race at Hungary and that is because other cars are the Red Bull's match at the moment.
"A couple of years ago Max came all the way through the field from outside the top 10 and last year took a five-placed grid penalty and came through to win from sixth, but it is surely a much more difficult prospect for him this year to come in and win.
"Does he face losing more of that cushion he has to Norris at the top of the drivers' standings?
"It is an efficient car, the Red Bull, at high speed on straight-line circuits like Spa so maybe they think there is still enough performance to come through the field."
Sky Sports F1's live Belgian GP schedule
Friday July 26
8.50am: F3 Practice
10am: F2 Practice
12pm: Belgian GP Practice One (session starts at 12.30pm)
2pm: F3 Qualifying
2.55pm: F2 Qualifying
3.45pm: Belgian GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm)
5:15pm: The F1 Show
Saturday July 27
8:45am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Belgian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: Belgian GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: Belgian GP Qualifying
5pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook
Sunday July 28
7:25am: F3 Feature Race
8.55am: F2 Feature Race
10.40am: Porsche Supercup
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday - Belgian GP build-up*
2pm: The BELGIAN GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Belgian GP reaction
5pm: Ted's Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
The action continues this weekend with the final race before F1's summer break, the Belgian Grand Prix. You can watch every session from Spa-Francorchamps live on Sky Sports F1.
Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership - No contract, cancel anytime