Franco Colapinto will not be the only driver starting under a penalty this weekend in Sepang. Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls driver, will have to start from the back of the grid after his team decided to replace various components of the power unit and exceed the allowed amount during the season.
The race will take place from Friday, October 2, to Sunday, October 4, in Malaysia. Formally, it is the Bahrain Grand Prix 2026, which was moved to the Sepang circuit due to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. The Malaysian track thus welcomes Formula 1 again after its last race in 2017.
Lindblad will start from the back
Racing Bulls decided to install new components of the propulsion system in Lindblad's car. The Brit will use a fifth internal combustion engine and a fifth turbocharger, among other parts, exceeding the amounts allowed by the regulations for the season.
The accumulation of penalties for these changes means that the driver will have to start the race from the back of the grid, regardless of the position he achieves during Saturday's qualifying.
The team chose Sepang as the venue to make the modification and accept the penalty. Lindblad had already incorporated new components in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, although on that occasion the changes did not exceed the regulatory limits.
This decision will force the Racing Bulls driver to plan a recovery race on a circuit that returns to the calendar after nine years of absence. For a large part of the current grid, it will also be the first competitive experience in Sepang.
Colapinto will also have a penalty
Colapinto, for his part, will lose five positions on the grid as a consequence of the accident he caused in the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Argentine locked up his tires during a braking in the first corner after a restart and hit his Alpine teammate, Pierre Gasly, who subsequently collided with Lando Norris' McLaren.
