Max Verstappen has been forced to take an engine change that will mean ten place grid penalties for the next three races. The Dutch driver was due to start second in race three at the Nurburgring but will now start down in twelfth.
The Van Amersfoort Racing driver, in his first weekend as a member of the Red Bull Junior Team, was on course for his ninth win of the season in race two when smoke appeared from the back of his machine. He was forced to relinquish the lead to Italian Antonio Giovinazzi and pulled over to the side of the track and pushed his broken car into the pit lane.
The engine penalty rules in European Formula 3 mean that the Dutchman will also serve ten place penalties for the first two rounds at Imola when the series resumes in October.
Prema Powerteam driver Antonio Fuoco will now start on the front row at the Nurburgring alongside pole sitter Tom Blomqvist of Jagonya Ayam with Carlin.
Esteban Ocon will start from third on the grid, and it will now take a lot of bad luck from the Frenchman and a lot of good luck from Verstappen to prevent the Lotus F1 Junior driver from claiming the championship. Prema Powerteam driver Ocon is 92 points clear of Verstappen in the standings.
