Following a lengthy wait, and just a few hours prior to the scheduled start of Saturday's Sprint Qualifying race in Brazil, the stewards finally issued their penalty verdicts for Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
It leads to a significant change to the starting grid for the 24-lap Sprint, with Hamilton dropping from first place all the way to the back, after his exclusion from qualifying over a Drag Reduction System (DRS) breach.
Verstappen, meanwhile, escaped with a €50,000 fine for breaching the FIA International Sporting Code, having touched Hamilton's rear wing in parc ferme conditions.
In simple terms, everyone behind Hamilton on the original starting grid moves up a position, with Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas forming the front row, followed by Sergio Perez and Pierre Gasly.
Hamilton now faces a challenging recovery drive through the field in Sprint Qualifying, which sets the grid for the main Grand Prix. However, he will also take a five-place grid penalty on Sunday, having moved on to a new Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) this weekend.
Starting Grid: F1 Brazilian GP 2021 Sprint Qualifying
| Position | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 2. | Bottas | Mercedes |
| 3. | Perez | Red Bull |
| 4. | Gasly | AlphaTauri |
| 5. | Sainz | Ferrari |
| 6. | Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 7. | Norris | McLaren |
| 8. | Ricciardo | McLaren |
| 9. | Alonso | Alpine |
| 10. | Ocon | Alpine |
| 11. | Vettel | Aston Martin |
| 12. | Tsunoda | AlphaTauri |
| 13. | Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo |
| 14. | Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo |
| 15. | Stroll | Aston Martin |
| 16. | Latifi | Williams |
| 17. | Russell | Williams |
| 18. | Schumacher | Haas |
| 19. | Mazepin | Haas |
| 20. | Hamilton* | Mercedes |
Also interesting:
Video: F1 Sprint Qualifying Races explained
The third 'F1 Sprint' event will take place at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil. How does the new qualifying format work? Here's everything you need to know...
Get the latest F1 news from RacingNews365 directly in your Google feed! Click on the link below and you’ll see your favourite F1 website appearing even more often. That way, you’ll never miss any news, analyses, interviews, or exclusives.
Follow RacingNews365 on GoogleMost read
In this article
F1 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix RN365 News dossier
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!