Max Verstappen is set to start Sunday's São Paulo Grand Prix from the back of the grid after Red Bull opted to fit a fresh power unit to his car, according to reports.
According to De Telegraaf, Red Bull had planned to delay a scheduled engine change for as long as possible this season, but problems emerged with the power unit on Friday at Interlagos.
The team has decided the risk of continuing without a swap was too great, prompting the full change of engine that now triggers the grid drop.
Verstappen is no stranger to fighting back from the rear of the field at Interlagos. Last year he started from the pit lane following an engine change and still came home third.
In 2024, in wet conditions, the four-time champion started 17th and produced a dominant drive to win the race outright.
The four-time world champion is not alone in having a grid penalty for what is expected to be a wet race on Sunday, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton also facing demotions.
Most read
In this article
Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.
Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar
A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..
Join the conversation!