Max Verstappen has confirmed he will start Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix from the back of the grid due to a power unit change.
The announcement came on Saturday afternoon, with the Milton Keynes-based squad opting to fit the fresh PU after the four-time F1 champion struggled with engine braking and clutch issues during Friday's running at Interlagos.
The timing of the change means qualifying has effectively lost its relevance for the Dutchman this weekend, with Verstappen already guaranteed to line up last regardless of how he performs.
Speaking to Viaplay, Verstappen explained the thinking behind the decision.
"Qualifying doesn't really matter that much, to be honest," Verstappen said, laughing. "I'm starting last anyway, because we have a new engine in the car.
"It makes sense that you'd go all out right away. That decision was made sometime after Friday's session, because we saw that it needed to be replaced."
The 29-year-old is no stranger to recovery drives from the back of the field at Interlagos, having done so before, but he made clear the novelty has worn off.
"At some point, you just get tired of it, right? Sure, it was fun, but I don't really want to do it here every year," he said. "But yeah, that's just how it is."
As for Saturday's running, Verstappen shrugged off its significance entirely.
"That's why today doesn't really matter all that much," he added. "It's just going to be a bit of a long day..."
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