Breaking: Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen grid penalties confirmed

The FIA has confirmed that Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen will all serve a grid penalty in the São Paulo Grand Prix.

Hamilton and Leclerc both endured a difficult opening day in Interlagos with the Scuderia once again struggling at high-speed, with the decision being taken to fit a new engine outside their allocated pools. 

The seven-time world champion and Leclerc have both received a 10-place grid penalty after taking a new internal combustion engine, the first of that component outside their legal pools.

Friday was also challenging for Verstappen, with Red Bull deciding to perform several power unit component changes. As a result, the Dutchman will likely start from the last row of the grid.

Verstappen has taken a new internal combustion engine, turbocharger and exhaust set, resulting in a 30-place grid penalty. Each component is the first outside the allocated pool.

Hamilton, Leclerc and Verstappen are not the only drivers affected this weekend. 

George Russell will also drop five places after Mercedes fitted an additional internal combustion engine outside his allocation, following a mechanical failure that forced the team into a larger power unit change at the Singapore Grand Prix earlier in the season.

Cadillac's Sergio Perez has also received a 30-place grid penalty after taking a new internal combustion engine, turbocharger and MGU-K.

Lewis Hamilton needing 2021 repeat; Max Verstappen 2024 wet masterclass

It would not be the first time Hamilton or Verstappen has turned a grid penalty at this circuit into a triumph. 

Back in 2021, when he was still driving for Mercedes, Hamilton was handed a five-place grid drop in Brazil after the team installed a fifth internal combustion engine of that season, exceeding his allocation.

Mercedes had made the change due to concerns over power degradation and reliability issues linked to earlier power unit batches. 

Hamilton was further demoted to the back of the Sprint grid that weekend after being disqualified from qualifying, with stewards ruling that the gap between his rear wing's DRS elements had exceeded the permitted 85-millimetre limit, a defect attributed to mechanical damage rather than deliberate rule-breaking. 

Despite starting that race down in tenth, Hamilton produced a dominant drive through the field at Interlagos to take victory ahead of Max Verstappen, underlining just how much overtaking opportunity the circuit can offer even from a compromised grid slot.

Verstappen produced one of the great recovery drives of his career at the venue in 2024, storming from 17th on the grid in treacherous, rain-affected conditions to win going away, setting the fastest lap along the way as he beat Esteban Ocon by nearly 20 seconds. 

Pierre Gasly completed an Alpine one-two in third, while Hamilton could only salvage 10th from 14th on the grid that day.