Mark Webber incurs 5-place grid penalty for gearbox change

Mark Webber has being issued a 5-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, after the Australian driver required a gearbox change after the two opening practice sessions earlier today. The Red Bull driver suffered a similar penalty in Germany, and is currently Fernando Alonso’s nearest Championship competitor.

The gearbox change will come into effect at the start of third practice tomorrow morning, and will mean Mark Webber will only be able to qualify as high as 5th for Sunday’s race. Webber has so far been victorious twice this season, at the Monaco and British Grands Prix, and is currently only 40 points behind the World Championship leader of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.

"The above driver [Webber] did finish the last race in Budapest and this gearbox change was before the five consecutive events expired,” read a statement from the FIA with regards to the Red Bull driver’s penalty.

Mark Webber has so far finished every race throughout 2012, scoring points consistently at each event except the Spanish Grand Prix. This superlative consistency has seen the Australian driver remain a strong Championship contender, however penalties such as this could greatly impair Webber as the Championship enters it’s second and all-important chapter.

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