Lewis Hamilton will receive a 10-place grid penalty for this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix, Formula 1 announced Oct. 8.
As expected, Mercedes has elected to put new internal combustion engine and exhaust systems in Hamilton’s car for Sunday. Because Hamilton has crossed the threshold for engine changes this season, he will be forced to drop 10 positions on the grid at Turkey.
While this penalty will be a big blow to Hamilton’s chances of going for back-to-back wins at Turkey, winning is not an impossible task. Hamilton had previously won the 2018 German Grand Prix from 14th place on the grid. In Sochi earlier this season, Max Verstappen started last and drove through the field to finish second.
Hamilton is the four-time defending champion and is striving for his record eighth Formula 1 championship in 2021. He has won five races in 2021, including his milestone 100th victory at Sochi on Sept. 26.
He currently holds a narrow two-point advantage over Verstappen for the championship lead.
The 2021 Turkish Grand Prix will take place at Intercity Istanbul Park on Oct. 10 at 8 a.m. ET, with TV coverage provided by ESPN 2.
About the author
Stephen Stumpf is the NASCAR Content Director for Frontstretch and is a three-year veteran of the site. His weekly columns include “Stat Sheet” and “4 Burning Questions.” He also writes commentary, contributes to podcasts, edits articles and is frequently at the track for on-site coverage.
Can find on Twitter @stephen_stumpf.
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