Verstappen to start at the back in São Paulo as Leclerc and Hamilton take 10-place penalties

Max Verstappen will have to fight his way through the field at Interlagos again. Red Bull has changed three power unit components on his car ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix. Ferrari has fitted fresh engines to both its cars, leaving Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton with 10-place grid penalties apiece.

In this article Red Bull · Ferrari · The Interlagos comebacks · Max’s joke

Why Verstappen goes to the back

The FIA technical delegate’s report lists a fifth internal combustion engine, a fifth turbocharger and a fifth exhaust set for Verstappen. Drivers may use four of each across the season. Exceeding each allocation for the first time costs 10 places, and the penalties add up. That makes 30 for Max. Under the grid penalty rules, anything over 15 sends a driver to the back, however quick his qualifying lap. Verstappen was third in both Friday sessions. Hamilton and Leclerc ended second practice sixth and seventh respectively.

Sergio Pérez will join him there after Cadillac exceeded the allocation for three components on his car too. A back-of-grid start therefore still leaves open which of the two drivers will occupy the very last spot on Sunday.

Ferrari still has places to play for

For Leclerc and Hamilton, only the internal combustion engine exceeds the allowance. Both are on their fifth, so every place they gain in qualifying still counts towards their Sunday starting positions. George Russell also faces a drop, though his sixth engine costs him five places because he has already exceeded that allocation once.

From 17th to victory at Interlagos

Verstappen has twice given Red Bull reason to hope from this end of the grid in Brazil. In 2024 he won from 17th in the rain. A year later he drove from the pit lane to third. Team principal Laurent Mekies recalled those drives when he spoke to Sky Sports F1 about the task facing his driver this time.

Where the antivirus joke came from

On Thursday, before the engine changes, Verstappen was asked whether rain at Interlagos might bring back the software trouble that had left cars stranded in Malaysia. “I installed antivirus on my car, so I’ll be fine,” he joked at the FIA press conference. When Arvid Lindblad said he hoped the issue had been fixed, Max reminded him that the two of them would be running the same software.