News Summary
- Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez each face 30 cumulative grid places, which would send both drivers to the back for Sunday’s São Paulo Grand Prix.
- Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc each face a 10-place drop after Ferrari fitted a fifth internal combustion engine to both cars.
- The FIA technical delegate has reported the changes to the stewards. George Russell’s five-place penalty was confirmed on Friday.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez are set to start the São Paulo Grand Prix from the back of the grid after taking three power unit components each beyond their season allocations. The FIA technical delegate’s Saturday report also lists a new internal combustion engine for both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, putting each Ferrari driver in line for a 10-place penalty.
All four drivers are on their fifth internal combustion engine, one beyond the four permitted under Article B8.2.2 of the 2026 sporting regulations. The report also identifies different additional components for Verstappen and Pérez.
Which components have changed at Interlagos?
| Driver | Team | Components beyond the season allocation | Expected grid consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | Fifth internal combustion engine, fifth turbocharger, fifth exhaust set | 30 cumulative places, back of the grid |
| Sergio Pérez | Cadillac | Fifth internal combustion engine, fifth turbocharger, fourth MGU-K | 30 cumulative places, back of the grid |
| Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | Fifth internal combustion engine | 10-place drop |
| Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | Fifth internal combustion engine | 10-place drop |
| George Russell | Mercedes | Internal combustion engine change reported on Friday | Five-place drop, already confirmed |
Verstappen, Pérez and Russell also have new power unit ancillary components. All three remain within the allocation of six, so those changes carry no additional grid penalty.
Why qualifying still matters for Verstappen and Pérez
Article B8.2.8 imposes 10 grid places for the first additional component of each type. Verstappen and Pérez have three such changes each, taking both to 30 places. Drivers with more than 15 cumulative grid places go behind the other classified drivers, with their order relative to each other set by qualifying.
That makes Saturday’s session meaningful for both. If Verstappen qualifies ahead of Pérez, he would also start ahead of the Cadillac among the drivers sent to the back, subject to any further decisions. Hamilton’s and Leclerc’s expected 10-place drops will be calculated from their qualifying positions under the normal grid procedure.
Verstappen faces another recovery drive in São Paulo
According to De Telegraaf, Red Bull had intended to delay a planned power unit change but brought it forward after problems emerged on Friday. Verstappen was still third in both practice sessions. In FP2 at Interlagos, he was just 0.006s behind Lando Norris and 0.259s off Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s benchmark.
Verstappen has recovered from deep in the field at Interlagos in each of the past two seasons. He won from 17th in the wet in 2024 and finished third from the pit lane in 2025, when Red Bull also changed his set-up under parc fermé.
Mercedes had already incurred Russell’s five-place engine penalty on Friday. The stewards’ decisions and the final starting grid will determine the exact positions for Sunday’s race. São Paulo GP qualifying is scheduled for 15:00 local time, 18:00 GMT and 13:00 EST.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the São Paulo Grand Prix in Formula 1 live from Interlagos.
