Lando Norris will start the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps with a 10-place grid penalty after McLaren replaces power unit components that exceed the FIA’s permitted seasonal allocation. Multiple reports say the change involves the car’s battery or energy store, with the penalty triggered because Norris has used more than the allowed number of parts in that category. BBC News, Sky Sports, and F1 state that the penalty is 10 places for this weekend’s race, and that it is linked to new power unit elements fitted by McLaren. Several outlets also describe the practical impact on the grid: the penalty is expected to drop Norris to no higher than 11th even if he qualifies near the front.
Other reporting connects the penalty to broader power unit and hybrid-management components, indicating that McLaren’s updates are part of a reliability or wear-related maintenance programme as teams make power unit changes ahead of a key point in the championship. Overall, the decision is presented as a standard FIA enforcement of component allocation rules following an engine/battery-related replacement by Norris’s team.
