With two months left in the season and Hamilton facing his first serious threat in years to be unseated as the F1 season champ (leads Verstappen by 2 points), Mercedes decided to fit his car with its 4th ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) of the season, one more than F1 regulations allows. The result is a 10-place grid penalty to start the Turkish Grand Prix from INTERCITY ISTANBUL PARK.
Verstappen faced the same issue recently in Russia, where he replaced an engine and started 20th, only to finish 2nd in the race. Mercedes is hoping for the same result as they are set to qualify on Saturday.
In similar news, Carlos Sainz will start at the back of the grid with Ferrari's new power unit.
If you want to bet on the race, maybe wait until after qualifying, as odds have not changed on BetUS as of Friday at 11 am ET.
Driver Standings:
POS DRIVER NATIONALITY CAR PTS
1 Lewis Hamilton GBR MERCEDES 246.5
2 Max Verstappen NED RED BULL RACING HONDA 244.5
3 Valtteri Bottas FIN MERCEDES 151
4 Lando Norris GBR MCLAREN MERCEDES 139
5 Sergio Perez MEX RED BULL RACING HONDA 120
6 Carlos Sainz ESP FERRARI 112.5
7 Charles Leclerc MON FERRARI 104
8 Daniel Ricciardo AUS MCLAREN MERCEDES 95
9 Pierre Gasly FRA ALPHATAURI HONDA 66
10 Fernando Alonso ESP ALPINE RENAULT 58
Betting odds (On BetUS: use promo code 12OZ for a big bonus!)
