Three F1 drivers receive Austin grid penalties

The FIA confirmed grid penalties for Arvid Lindblad, Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto at the United States Grand Prix after their teams exceeded 2026 power-unit component allocations. Bortoleto faces a 20-place penalty, Lindblad five places and Colapinto 10 places for the race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Racing Bulls fitted Lindblad with a sixth internal combustion engine of the season, above the four-unit allocation, resulting in a five-place grid drop. Reports say this is his second breach involving the component; he previously started from the back of the grid in Malaysia after taking a fifth engine. Colapinto’s 10-place penalty follows Alpine’s installation of a fourth control electronics unit. The season allocation for that component is three, so the replacement pushed the team beyond the permitted limit. Bortoleto received two 10-place penalties after Audi fitted a fourth energy store and a fourth control electronics unit, each exceeding its three-unit allocation. The combined 20-place sanction means he must start from the back of the grid, according to reports on the FIA’s decision. Audi also installed an internal combustion engine, turbocharger,...