Red Bull install completely new power unit in Max Verstappen’s car; world championship leader was already facing a three-place grid penalty but will now start at back of grid after engine penalties applied; each car only allowed three power units per season before facing penalties

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Max Verstappen is focusing on race setup after taking engine change ahead of the Russian GP.

Max Verstappen will start the Russian GP from the back of the grid after Red Bull installed a fourth engine of the season in his car.

The world championship leader was already facing a three-place grid penalty after being found predominantly to blame for the crash with title rival Lewis Hamilton at the Italian GP.

But Red Bull needed to introduce a new engine after the power unit involved in Verstappen’s high-speed crash at Silverstone was damaged beyond repair, and they installed the completely new unit ahead of Practice Two in Sochi.

Speaking about his penalty after practice, Verstappen said: “It’s not only the results (of Practice One), we took everything into account, also the weather for tomorrow. We thought it would be best to take it here.

“In 2018 (when Verstappen came through the field) the gaps to the midfield were bigger so I think it will be a bit more difficult to cut through. We had to take a penalty anyway and if we hadn’t taken it here we’d have to take it somewhere else so we thought we’ll decide to do it here and try and make the best of it.

“We just try to make the best possible race car for this weekend after we decided to take that engine. Of course it’s going to work out and let’s first see how the weather will be tomorrow.”

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Former McLaren boss Ron Dennis discusses the gripping championship battle between Max Verstappen and his former protégé Lewis Hamilton – and makes his prediction.

Verstappen currently holds a five-point advantage over Hamilton in the world championship heading into round 15 of the season this weekend in Sochi.

Hamilton finished second in both of Friday’s practice sessions with Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas setting the pace. Verstappen was third in first practice before posting the sixth-fastest time in the afternoon session.

Mercedes have won every race since the Russian GP returned to the calendar in 2014, and Sky Sports F1 pundits Anthony Davidson and Karun Chandhok both felt it was the logical race for Red Bull to take the engine penalty.

Davidson said: “Verstappen is going to have one of the fastest cars out there. We saw what Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez were able to do at Monza, they just raced through the field. And that’s what Max can do and will do here.

“It’s a happy hunting ground for Mercedes, in dry conditions they’d have a good shot of winning the race anyway, and Red Bull have got stronger tracks coming their way later in the year.

“They’re going to start at the back, but he will come through the field. I think he’ll finish third or fourth.”

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Martin Brundle says Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen know they cannot afford to yield to each other next time they duel on track.

Chandhok added: “I think this is a track where you can overtake and can get a really good slipstream with the DRS also being pretty powerful.

“I think it’s a logical place for them to take it. The fact that the weather is going to be bad has forced them into taking it today, but they will save mileage on it tomorrow as they won’t need to run it in the wet if they’re starting at the back of the grid.”

It had already been confirmed that Charles Leclerc would start at the back of the grid in Sochi too after Ferrari installed an upgraded power unit in his car.