Honda have admitted they still don’t know for sure whether Max Verstappen’s engine can be used again, following his high speed crash into the barriers at Silverstone.
Upon first inspection of the engine, hopes were raised that the unit can be used again and reduce the likelihood of a grid penalty later in the year if Verstappen requires using more engines than the permitted three for the season. Honda wished to examine the power unit more closely before being able to give a definitive answer.
“We probably won’t know that before the Hungarian Grand Prix,” a spokesperson told RacingNews365 ahead of the weekend in Budapest.
“The tricky part about whether an engine is still good enough to race or whether it is only kept for Fridays is that with all the technical limitations you are limited in what you can research before an engine is actually started again.”
If the engine can’t be used again as a race engine, with 13 races to go in the season, it’s very likely Verstappen will take a grid penalty later in the season as Red Bull would need to use a fourth power unit.
