Esteban Ocon should start from the pit lane on Sunday as a penalty at the US Grand Prix. The French alpine driver made an engine change after the qualifying race on Saturday. Normally that would mean starting in the back of the drivers’ field, but since the FIA had not authorized the change, Ocon was ordered to start from the dashboard.
Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda also received a penalty on race day. The AlphaTauri driver installed a new gearbox at the last minute and that’s why it should be five places in the starting grid. Tsunoda is now leaving from the nineteenth place.
Due to the numerous grid penalties at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, the starting grid was shaken up considerably, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyo and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso also being pushed back through the numerous engine tweaks.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz will start at 9pm Dutch time in his Ferrari from pole position. Max Verstappen, already sure of the world title, is second at the start. Dutch Red Bull is chasing its 13th Grand Prix victory of the season in Austin. If successful, it would equal the Formula 1 record for most victories in a season.
