The German finished in fifth place in Valencia a fortnight ago but his team found a problem with his gearbox after the event.
The unit was changed ahead of final practice at Silverstone, which means he will be given a mandatory five-place grid penalty after qualifying.
Marussia driver Charles Pic also picked up a five-place penalty after he also needed to have a replacement gearbox fitted.
However, after he finished the rain-hit qualifying session last overall, it is unlikely to make any difference to his starting position.
