McLaren's Norris set for back row Italian GP start

©McLaren

McLaren's Lando Norris will join Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly at the back of Sunday's Italian Grand Prix starting grid as a result of his last lap engine failure at Spa last weekend.

Norris was heading towards a remarkable fifth-place finish in Spa when his power unit shut down at the very end of the race's penultimate lap.

A subsequent diagnosis of the failure by engine supplier Renault revealed a terminal issue, meaning that Norris will use a new Spec-C unit in Sunday's race, the McLaren driver therefore enduring a grid penalty.

Honda confirm Monza grid penalties for Verstappen and Gasly

"They found the problem, they've got a fix for this weekend, it's not something that has happened before," said Norris.

"They're working on everything: the team, Renault. I want to say it won't happen again and we won't have any problems but I can't guarantee it."

Norris' pain in Belgium was matched by teammate Carlos Sainz's own engine troubles which put the Spaniard out of the race at the outset.

However, Sainz's unit was saved and is among his batch of Monza engines that includes a C-Spec power unit which he will use later in the weekend.

"We know what the problem was now," said Sainz.

"The good news is the engine is alive and I will be able to re-use it in practice and see how it goes."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.