VERSTAPPEN FACING ‘BUNCH OF PENALTIES’ IN MONZA

Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), Aug. 28: Max Verstappen is set to take “a bunch of penalties” at Monza after his Renault engine failed again and forced him to retire from Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, his Red Bull boss Christian Horner predicted.

Horner complained that Renault were giving his team a “below par” service — for which the French constructor’s representative Alain Prost apologised personally to Verstappen — despite seeing his teammate Daniel Ricciardo claim third behind race winner Lewis Hamilton.

The team chief added that Verstappen’s postrace outburst of frustration with the team, and thinly-veiled threat that he was considering his future, was to be expected.

“He’s just enormously frustrated, as you can imagine,” said Horner. “Once again, he’s in a great position and through no fault of his own he’s had another engine issue.

“Sometimes words escape you... Obviously he’s had Alain Prost come and apologise, Renault are going to apologise, but it doesn’t change the situation unfortunately. I think that Renault are quite aware that their reliability and product isn’t where it should be and that’s their business to sort that out.” Lewis Hamilton fears that, despite steering his Mercedes to victory on Sunday, Ferrari have a faster car and he faces an uphill struggle to catch title leader Sebastian Vettel.

“I think Ferrari were ultimately quicker. I was just able to keep them at bay,” he said. “But if our cars were reversed, I don’t think I would have been able to hold as close as he did.” — AFP