F1: Verstappen faces back-of-grid start in São Paulo
Max Verstappen has 30 penalty places, while Lewis Hamilton joins him and Sergio Pérez at the back after Ferrari replaced his power unit.
Loading… Բեռնվում է…
Max Verstappen has 30 penalty places, while Lewis Hamilton joins him and Sergio Pérez at the back after Ferrari replaced his power unit.
Lewis Hamilton will join Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez at the back of the grid for the São Paulo Grand Prix after Ferrari replaced Hamilton’s entire power unit, The Race said. The change increased Hamilton’s earlier 10-place penalty after smoke emerged from his car in final practice.
Red Bull’s Verstappen accumulated 30 penalty places after exceeding his allocations of engine, turbocharger and exhaust components. He must start at the back regardless of where he qualifies.
Red Bull discovered problems after Friday practice and will fit Verstappen with an all-new engine, BBC Sport reported. The Race reported that he complained on the radio about engine and clutch issues during Friday running.
Verstappen said steering issues needed fixing before qualifying and that the team would focus on maximizing performance while hoping for some rain. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies pointed to Verstappen’s previous recoveries in Brazil: he won from 17th on the grid in 2024 and finished third from the pit lane the following year. Mekies said the team would consider using Verstappen to help teammate Isack Hadjar in qualifying, though rain could make that unnecessary if a clear track were preferable.
Before final practice, Hamilton and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc each took a new internal combustion engine, the part of the power unit that burns fuel. These were their fifth engines of the season, exceeding the allowance of four for the first time. Leclerc’s penalty remains a 10-place grid drop.
The Race reported that Leclerc’s new engine and penalty were confirmed during third practice on Saturday, after news of Hamilton’s initial penalty emerged earlier that day.
Mercedes driver George Russell has a 5-place penalty for another engine change. His penalty is smaller because he had already exceeded his allocation.
Formula 1 told the Italian circuit on 10 November to stand down while retaining plans for Qatar on 27–29 November and Abu Dhabi on 4–6 December; it says it could still cancel the races if conditions deteriorate.
Cadillac’s Pérez took a new Ferrari engine, turbocharger and a component that recovers energy under braking. Those changes brought him 30 penalty places.
Under Formula 1's rules, the first use of a component beyond its allocation brings a 10-place penalty, and each subsequent excess use of that component brings five places. Penalties at the same event accumulate. A driver with more than 15 penalty places starts behind the other classified drivers, rather than simply dropping that number of places from their qualifying position.
For penalties totaling 15 places or fewer, temporary grid positions combine qualifying positions and penalties. If drivers share a temporary position, the faster qualifier is placed immediately ahead. Once unpenalized classified drivers have been placed, penalized drivers move into the remaining slots.
The drivers will serve their penalties in the race on 8 November.
3 min
Mercedes secured the 2026 constructors' title with 2 races remaining. Lando Norris won the Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen, while a penalty for Charles Leclerc promoted Liam Lawson to seventh. Isack Hadjar finished third, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli fourth and fifth for Mercedes.
4 min
Max Verstappen wins the Mexico City Grand Prix ahead of Lewis Hamilton as third-placed Kimi Antonelli clinches his first drivers’ title. At 20 years and 68 days, Antonelli becomes Formula 1’s youngest champion and its first Italian champion since 1953, giving Mercedes its 10th drivers’ title and first since 2020.
3 min