Sao Paulo Grand Prix Penalties Hit Verstappen, Ferrari

Sao Paulo Grand Prix penalties will send Max Verstappen to the back of the grid and drop both Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc by 10 places for Sunday's race at Interlagos, BBC Sport reported on Saturday, 7 November. All three took fresh engine parts beyond their season allowance.

They join Mercedes driver George Russell, who had already confirmed a five-place drop for a new engine. Formula1.com and Crash.net report that Cadillac's Sergio Perez will also start from the back after major power unit changes.

Who is affected and why

Formula 1 rules limit how many of each power unit element a driver can use in a season. The BBC says the limit for internal combustion engines is four. The first time a driver exceeds the allocation of any element, a 10-place grid penalty applies; each later breach adds five places. Penalties at the same event add up, and anyone collecting more than 15 places starts at the back.

• Max Verstappen (Red Bull): back of the grid after a new engine, turbocharger and exhaust. Red Bull found problems after Friday practice.
• Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari): 10-place drop for a new engine, the first time he has gone over the limit.
• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): 10-place drop for the same reason.
• George Russell (Mercedes): five-place drop for his sixth engine of the season, a smaller penalty because he had already passed the limit.
• Sergio Perez (Cadillac): back of the grid after a new engine, turbocharger and MGU-K.

Ferrari's tactical call

According to Crash.net, Ferrari looked only the fourth-fastest team on Friday in both short and long runs, its weakest Friday of the season. The team is understood to have chosen to take the penalty in Brazil after that poor start and with uncertain weather expected for the rest of the weekend.

The forecast adds a twist. The BBC says rain is predicted overnight from Saturday into Sunday in Sao Paulo, with showers possible at any point on race day. Sunday's race is 71 laps.

Sao Paulo Grand Prix penalties set up comebacks

Fans have good reason to expect drama, because Interlagos has a long record of recovery drives. Formula1.com recalls that Hamilton was disqualified from qualifying in 2021 over a Drag Reduction System irregularity and also took a five-place engine penalty, yet still won. Crash.net notes he climbed from the back to fifth in the sprint, then charged from 10th to first in the grand prix. Verstappen won the wet 2024 race from 17th on the grid after an engine penalty, and in 2025 he started from the pit lane and climbed to third.

That means several of the sport's biggest names will need similar recovery drives on Sunday to score big points, with Ferrari's SF-26 and Red Bull's RB22 both starting out of position. Exact starting positions will depend on how the drivers qualify on Saturday before the grid drops are applied.

Interlagos deal extended to 2035

Off the track, F1 confirmed on Saturday that Interlagos has extended its contract to host a grand prix until 2035, a five-year extension. F1 president and chief executive Stefano Domenicali said Brazil was an important part of the sport's history and future, and praised the passion of Brazilian fans and the energy they bring to the grandstands and the city.

He added that the continued success of the event shows why it holds a special place on the calendar, and that the agreement underlines the sport's long-term commitment to Brazil. The circuit, officially named after Jose Carlos Pace, is one of the most historic venues on the schedule.

For more weekend sport, see our coverage of Tye Ruotolo's win over Christian Lee at ONE Championship, Buriram United's draw with Kashima, and the national team's King's Cup plans.

Penalty details were reported by BBC Sport, with additional information from Formula1.com.

Photo: Start of the 2007 Brazilian GP at Interlagos, host of this weekend's race and its Sao Paulo Grand Prix penalties (Morio via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0).