All eyes are on the banning of ‘party mode’ engine settings at Monza this weekend. However, Red Bull-Honda pushed hard for the FIA to ban ‘party mode’ engine settings, with Mercedes clearly leading the field in this area. “We are hoping that the new rule costs us less than it costs Mercedes,” said Max Verstappen. The Mercedes-powered runners, however, think the ban could backfire on Mercedes’ rivals. “I think we and Racing Point will be more affected than Mercedes, simply because they’re so far ahead in qualifying. Former Mercedes boss Norbert Haug thinks the ‘party mode’ ban is a storm in a teacup.

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