Aston Martin introduced power-unit components beyond the season allocation for both cars during the 2026 F1 Round 15 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. FIA penalty decisions Nos. 20 and 21, issued on 24 September, confirmed a total 25-place grid penalty for Fernando Alonso and 20 places for Lance Stroll. Both drivers must still take part in qualifying on 25 September, but these two decisions already placed them in the back-of-grid category for the race on 26 September.
How the penalties add up: three components for 25 places, four for 20
Alonso’s No. 14 car used its fifth internal combustion engine, fifth turbocharger and ninth power-unit ancillary component of the season, attracting penalties of 10, 10 and 5 places respectively, totalling 25. Stroll’s No. 18 car received its sixth turbocharger, seventh energy store, sixth control electronics unit and eighth ancillary component. Each incurred 5 places, totalling 20. The seven components and their corresponding penalties are listed below.
Both drivers are subject to the same allocation rule: the first excess component of a given type attracts 10 places, with each subsequent excess component of that type attracting 5. Penalties for different components at the same event are cumulative. Changing more types of component therefore does not necessarily mean a larger penalty; the number already used in each category also matters. The two FIA decisions set out Alonso’s 10 + 10 + 5 and Stroll’s four 5-place penalties.
Why Baku: the team’s assessment and checks during practice
In the team’s official interview after Thursday practice, Aston Martin trackside chief Mike Krack said the team expected Baku to be difficult for its competitiveness. Together with power-unit partner Honda, it had agreed this weekend was a suitable time to introduce the new components. Stroll also acknowledged the current lack of pace and hoped to take opportunities in the race. These were the team’s assessments of the timing and competitive situation.
In Thursday’s two practice sessions, Alonso was 19th and 22nd, while Stroll finished 21st in both. Alonso lost running midway through FP2 while the team investigated a suspected oil leak. Krack said checks would continue overnight, aiming to resolve it before Friday’s final practice. The penalty documents, however, recorded that the penalised components on both cars had already been used in FP1. The component decision preceded the suspected FP2 oil leak, so the latter cannot directly be treated as the reason for all these changes.
Power-unit components listed in FIA Decisions Nos. 20 and 21
| Driver / car number | Component | Unit used this season | Grid penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alonso / 14 | Internal combustion engine (ICE) | Fifth | 10 places |
| Alonso / 14 | Turbocharger (TC) | Fifth | 10 places |
| Alonso / 14 | Power-unit ancillary component (PU-ANC) | Ninth | 5 places |
| Stroll / 18 | Turbocharger (TC) | Sixth | 5 places |
| Stroll / 18 | Energy store (ES) | Seventh | 5 places |
| Stroll / 18 | Power-unit control electronics (PU-CE) | Sixth | 5 places |
| Stroll / 18 | Power-unit ancillary component (PU-ANC) | Eighth | 5 places |
INKA SPORTS analysis: penalty totals and final grid slots are different
A 25-place penalty is 5 greater than a 20-place penalty, but that does not mean the cars will start five grid slots apart. Both exceed 15 places and therefore fall under the rule placing them behind all other classified drivers, rather than simply adding the penalty to their qualifying positions. The FIA decisions also linked grid allocation to obtaining a qualifying classification, leaving confirmation to the official qualifying results. The penalties do not remove their eligibility to qualify, and their exact final positions cannot be inferred from 25 and 20 alone.
The choice also concerns season-long component use. F1’s official rules explanation states that newly introduced components enter the pool available for rotation in later races. Accepting a grid cost at a circuit expected to be difficult allows the team to consider this event’s competitive outlook alongside future resource management. The penalty records establish excess use, however, not a performance upgrade. The suspected FP2 oil leak still requires investigation, and reliable operation of the new parts must be tested through the remaining practice and race.
Summary
The confirmed outcome of Thursday’s two decisions was a 25-place penalty for Alonso and 20 for Stroll, putting both under the same back-of-grid rule. The next questions are whether the cars can return to normal running, whether both drivers obtain a qualifying classification and how the FIA ultimately allocates the grid. Qualifying is scheduled for 16:00 Baku local time on 25 September, or 20:00 China Standard Time (UTC+8). The official starting grid will determine their specific race starting positions.
