Hadjar, Lindblad and Colapinto hit with grid penalties in Sepang

There is early trouble down the grid as Isack Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto are all facing power unit-related penalties for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia this weekend.

Red Bull’s Hadjar, fresh off a podium finish last time out in Baku on his comeback from injury, is taking a seventh internal combustion engine, pushing far past the four permitted for the current season. Racing Bulls rookie Lindblad is also taking a new internal combustion engine, his fifth of the four allowed, alongside a fifth turbocharger and a fifth new exhaust set. Alpine’s Colapinto adds to his woes, carrying an existing five-place grid penalty following a collision with team mate Pierre Gasly and McLaren’s Lando Norris in Azerbaijan, while also taking a fifth internal combustion engine of the season.

Under the regulations, the first time a power unit element allocation is exceeded, a 10-place grid penalty applies, with subsequent breaches resulting in a five-place grid drop. All penalties at the same event apply in a cumulative manner, and if a driver incurs a penalty exceeding 15 grid places, they must start the race at the back of the field regardless.

Because Hadjar has already exceeded the limit with every power unit component this season, he is set to take a five-place penalty. Lindblad is set to start at the back, while Colapinto faces an additional 10-place drop on top of his already existing five places.

Qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia gets underway at 1600 local time on Saturday, with lights out in Sepang taking place at 1500 on Sunday.