Max Verstappen is likely to serve a grid penalty in the coming races according to team principal Christian Horner.

The Red Bull champion has a commanding lead to defend in the standings should he need to start further back than usual following his seventh win of the season in Spain.

However, 2024 has not been a straightforward season for Verstappen, as it has brought about mechanical difficulties, leading to several changes to his power unit.

In Barcelona alone, the three-time champion replaced his internal combustion engine, turbocharger, MGU-H, and MGU-K, bringing him to his limit for all four components for the season.

Horner: Verstappen penalty is inevitable
In Montreal, Verstappen was forced to stop early in the second practice session due to a suspected issue with the energy recovery system, and it was feared that the problem could have caused further damage to the rest of the power unit.

Concern was more apparent for the internal combustion engine, with the one run in Canada being the Dutchman’s third of the season and had been installed that morning.

The issue prompted Honda – the team’s engine supplier – to remove the engine from the car and fly it to Japan for analysis, to see whether it can be salvaged or if it is beyond repair.

With it now being more than two weeks since the race in Montreal without a positive update, it is looking more likely that the engine cannot be fixed.

With Verstappen now being at his limit for several components of his engine, the Red Bull driver will face a 10-place grid penalty if he makes a fifth change, something Horner stated is ‘inevitable.’

Speaking with Autosport, the Red Bull chief said: “We’d have to see how it plays out over the coming races, but I think it’s inevitable that we’ll take the next engine at some point.”