Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso will join Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli in starting their Belgian Grand Prix from the pitlane this afternoon after making extensive changes to their respective power units.
The trio exited qualifying in Q1 on Saturday, leaving all three drivers the back of the field. Faced with a compromised starting position and with half the season still to run, each driver’s team opted to break parc fermé conditions to install fresh engine components – triggering mandatory pitlane starts.
All three drivers suffered disappointing Saturdays. Hamilton had a lap quick enough for Q2 deleted due to a marginal track limits violation at Raidillon, dropping the Ferrari charger to 16th on the timesheets.
Antonelli, struggling for form and confidence during his difficult rookie campaign, ended up 18th, while Alonso could only manage 19th, narrowly ahead of his Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll.
Given their low grid positions and the looming risk of engine-related penalties later in the year, the move to swap in new power unit elements was deemed a sensible, tactical opportunity.
©AstonMartin
Each driver has now taken a fifth internal combustion engine (ICE) – one more than the season’s permitted allocation of four – along with a new turbocharger, MGU-H, and MGU-K.
Hamilton has also replaced his battery, control electronics, and exhaust, completing a full refresh of his power unit system.
By opting for these changes at Spa, where overtaking is relatively easier and mixed weather is likely to disrupt the race order, the trio has minimized the competitive cost of these penalties.
Rain Adds More Variables to Unusual Starting Order
Only 17 cars will line up on the starting grid when the lights go out this afternoon, with the remaining three entering from the pitlane after the field has passed the exit.
Heavy rain showers soaked the track on Sunday morning, and forecasts suggest further rain could hit during the race, raising the likelihood of strategy chaos and a further reshuffling of the order.
Hamilton, Alonso, and Antonelli will be hoping to capitalize on that unpredictability. For Hamilton and Alonso – two of the sport’s most experienced drivers – the aim will be recovery drives into the points.
For Antonelli, it’s another chance to rebuild confidence following a bruising stretch of races.
The trio may be starting from the back, but with Spa’s long straights, changeable skies, and a history of dramatic opening laps, they are far from out of the fight.
Update:
The FIA has confirmed that Williams driver Carlos Sainz will also take a pitlane start after making set-up changes to his car under parc ferme conditions. The Spaniard had qualified 15th.
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