Russian GP grid penalties for Red Bull and Toro Rosso drivers

Verstappen (left) was joined by Albon at red Bull following the mid-season break

All four drivers from the Red Bull and Toro Rosso teams will be hit with grid penalties at the Russian Grand Prix.

Engine partner Honda has decided to fit all four cars with new engines to ensure they are in the best competitive shape for the subsequent race at its home in Japan.

In Sochi, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon and Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly drop five places on the grid.

Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat will start at the back for his home race on Sunday.

The penalties are all for exceeding the permitted number of engine parts for a season.

Kvyat’s bigger penalty is because Honda is replacing five of the six constituent elements of his power-unit, the internal combustion engine, turbo, hybrid parts the MGU-K and MGU-H and console electronics. Only the battery on his car is not being replaced.

The cars of Verstappen, Albon and Gasly are being fitted only with new internal combustion engines, because their history of engine changes this season is different.