Aston Martin Racing driver Sebastian Vettel receives a 10-place penalty for the US Grand Prix. The four-time world champion is undergoing an engine change for the fourth time, one more than the regulations allow.
The only penalty confirmed for Vettel is initially for a new internal combustion engine (ICE). However, if the team also has to replace the turbocharger, MGU-K, MGU-H and other engine components, further penalties could threaten.
Before the US GP on the official Formula 1 website, Vettel said:
“I think we’re heading for a, shall we say, difficult weekend. We change the engine and therefore get a penalty. “
Without going into too many details of the other component changes, he said:
“But I think we’ll see what we can do from where we start. Still, I think we can be strong here with a view to the future. We’ll see how strong. “
Just changing the engine leads to a gap of 10 places, as in the case of Lewis Hamilton in Turkey. A fourth turbocharger (TC), MGU-K and MGU-H as well as an energy storage device would, however, result in further penalties and force Vettel to start the race from the end of the grid. The current season regulations do not allow more than three changes for all components for the entire season.
Did you know that #USGP 2019 featured the second highest number of overtaking maneuvers in a dry race this season? Find out all about @COTA with our latest # F1 Grand Prix Preview, presented by @Cognizant. # IAMRACING Did you know the #USGP 2019 featured the second highest number of dry-race overtaking maneuvers this season? Find out all about @COTA with our latest preview of the # F1 Grand Prix, presented by @ Cognizant. # IAMRACING
Sebastian Vettel positive about the race day
Given that the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) allows for plenty of overtaking opportunities, Vettel seemed positive about increasing the grid on race day. He said:
“Yes you can [overtake] So i think it’s a good place to do it [the engine change] and hopefully we’ll have a fun Sunday afternoon and get back into the mix. “
Vettel gave an outlook on the racetrack in terms of racing and said:
“This [track] is definite [nice to drive]. You climb up the first section with the hill and then you have the fast eater. “
He went on to explain the track layout and said:
“It’s a good mix, slow parts, fast parts and you just enjoy it. After one round you are happy to do another. ”
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Due to the proliferation of long, wide straights on the COTA track, Vettel is right to move the starting grid up. However, it depends on how many component changes are made, which means how far behind he starts his race. Still, the four-time world champion can expect a busy Sunday and he hopes a new Mercedes engine will make things easier, as Lewis Hamilton did in Turkey.
Edited by Sandeep Banerjee
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