Norris hit with 10-place drop in 2026 Spa grid changes
Lando Norris will start 13th at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix after a 10-place grid penalty for a new battery, reshaping the 2026 Spa grid changes. The world champion takes his fourth power electronics unit, one over the limit, dropping from third on the grid at Spa-Francorchamps.
Key Takeaways
- Norris drops from P3 to P13 after fitting a fourth battery beyond the season limit.
- McLaren also takes the latest Mercedes engine, aiming for reliability ahead of summer upgrades.
- Alonso, Hadjar and Stroll join him among drivers hit by Spa power-unit penalties.
- Championship leader Kimi Antonelli starts on pole, with Norris still fifth in the standings.
Why did Lando Norris get a 10-place grid penalty?
McLaren will fit Norris with a new battery for Sunday's race because he has exceeded the permitted number of engine parts. The unit is his fourth of the season, one more than allowed under Formula 1 rules.
Technically, the replaced part is the power electronics — a control computer inside the battery module. According to BBC Sport, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains has introduced reliability fixes, and McLaren must take a new unit to use them.
Norris has already suffered power-electronics failures this year, including a terminal issue that left him unable to start the Chinese Grand Prix. McLaren said it plans to run this fourth unit for the rest of the season to maximise reliability while limiting further sporting penalties.
How do the 2026 Spa grid changes look after penalties?
After qualifying third, Norris falls to 13th once the 10-place drop is applied. The Race's revised starting order also reflects penalties for Lance Stroll (10 places), Fernando Alonso (20 places) and Isack Hadjar (30 places).
The projected front of the grid is Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) on pole, then Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and George Russell (Mercedes). Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton line up fourth and fifth for Ferrari, with Oscar Piastri sixth for McLaren ahead of Norris.
Alonso starts last after exceeding allocations for energy store, control electronics and ancillary components. Hadjar and Stroll also shuffle the lower half of the field at Spa-Francorchamps.
Why did McLaren take the penalty at Spa?
The team chose Belgium because overtaking is relatively straightforward there, and it is the last race before a major upgrade package arrives across the Hungarian and Dutch Grands Prix. McLaren expects to be no more competitive than at Silverstone this weekend, but prefers not to compromise Hungary, where passing is harder.
Norris said Spa still offers a strong slipstream and is a better venue than Hungary or Zandvoort for serving the drop. He remains fifth in the drivers' championship, 82 points behind leader Antonelli, as covered in our celebrity breaking news coverage.
McLaren will also run a new rear wing at Spa designed for the high-speed Ardennes layout, hoping for a cleaner race recovery from 13th.