The Belgian Grand Prix weekend has been hit by a major blow for Fernando Alonso as Formula 1 confirmed the Aston Martin driver will be starting well down the order after a series of power unit changes ahead of Sunday's race at Spa-Francorchamps.
The FIA has issued a 20-place grid penalty to Alonso for Aston Martin's overuse of several power unit parts in the season. The Spaniard can only be placed in the back of the grid if the penalty is more than the number of available positions, but the sanction will effectively kill any chance of him being at the front of the grid, no matter how he qualified.
Alonso is the next driver to be docked after Lando Norris, Lance Stroll and Isack Hadjar were all given grid drops this weekend.
Why Fernando Alonso Received a Grid Penalty
Each driver is allowed a certain number of power unit parts per season in Formula 1. Going over those allocations will incur automatic penalties on the grid, and Alonso's several component changes add up to a 20-place penalty.
The move was officially confirmed by FIA stewards on Saturday before qualifying, as Aston Martin chose to add new parts to make the car more reliable for the rest of the season, rather than risk mechanical problems later in the season.
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That means the two-time world champion will have a tough time at Spa, a track with long straight sections and plenty of overtaking. Now, Aston Martin will hope that Alonso can make the most of the track and the unpredictable weather to recover positions on Sunday.
The punishment also brings another twist to an already eventful Belgian Grand Prix weekend, as several teams opt for Spa to test new power unit parts due to the circuit's overtaking potential.
The penalty is a setback, but Aston Martin is confident that the new engine package will offer improved reliability as the championship battle continues in the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season.