Lando Norris is sitting on the brink of an F1 grid penalty after exhausting his allocation of critical power unit components just three races into the 2026 season.
The reigning world champion has already used all three of his permitted energy store and control electronics components, leaving him with zero margin for error should further reliability issues strike.
Under FIA regulations, any driver requiring a fourth component of either type will incur an automatic 10-place grid penalty for the first offence, with subsequent violations carrying five-place drops.
The 26-year-old has endured a nightmare opening to the campaign, languishing in sixth place in the drivers' standings with just 15 points.
His troubles were augmented last time out in China, where a catastrophic battery failure prevented him from starting the race.
The software issue permanently bricked the energy store, wiping out one-third of his season's allocation in a single stroke.
Further misery followed at Suzuka, where a hydraulic leak confined Norris to the garage for over 20 minutes during FP2, severely hampering his preparation.
The team was then forced to carry out another power unit change ahead of the final practice session, keeping him in the garage for another lengthy period of time.
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