Lando Norris of McLaren will incur a 10-place grid penalty at the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix, stemming from the necessary installation of a new power electronics unit. This marks the fourth such unit for Norris this season, exceeding the permitted allocation.
Mclaren elected to take the penalty at Spa, where passing is considered more manageable, rather than at subsequent races like Hungary, where car performance is expected to be stronger and overtaking more challenging. The team aims to prioritize reliability for the remainder of the season with this new unit.
The decision follows a season marked by both performance and reliability issues for McLaren. Norris has encountered several power unit problems, including failing to start the Chinese Grand Prix due to an issue with his power electronics unit. A second unit experienced problems in practice in Japan and again in Monaco.
Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains, McLaren's engine supplier, has since introduced reliability fixes for its power electronics systems. To implement these improvements, McLaren must use a new unit, triggering the grid penalty for Norris.
In addition to the power unit change, McLaren is also set to introduce a new rear wing design for the Spa circuit, intended to better suit the track's high-speed characteristics. This new wing will feature a conventional opening style, diverging from the designs adopted by rivals Ferrari and Red Bull, the latter having reverted to a conventional wing after recent issues with its own design.