Hamilton, Leclerc and Verstappen all take grid penalties for Brazilian GP engine changes

Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen will all start the Brazilian Grand Prix from significantly further back than their qualifying positions after Ferrari and Red Bull both opted for power unit changes ahead of the Interlagos race.

Ferrari has fitted a new internal combustion engine to both of its SF-26s, triggering a 10-place grid penalty for each driver. Verstappen faces a stiffer punishment — a complete power unit change means he will start from the very back of the grid in São Paulo.

Red Bull had signalled earlier in the weekend that a change was not yet necessary, but that assessment shifted on Friday after Verstappen encountered several small issues during practice. He sat out the final six minutes of the second session, and mechanics were seen working underneath his RB22 immediately after he climbed out. The team broke the pre-race curfew on Friday evening before officially confirming the full engine change on Saturday.

The timing is notable given that Red Bull’s race starts have been inconsistent this season. By ending practice early, Verstappen also missed the chance to complete a practice start on Interlagos’s slightly uphill grid — a detail that will not have gone unnoticed inside the Milton Keynes garage.

Verstappen is no stranger to recovery drives at this circuit. Last year he climbed from the pitlane to the podium, and in 2024 he won from 17th on the grid in a result that effectively ended Lando Norris’s title challenge. A famous wet-weather drive in 2016 also stands among his career highlights at the venue.

Hamilton, too, has a celebrated history of fighting through the field in Brazil. At the 2021 race he rose from 20th to fifth in the sprint before being dropped to 10th for the Grand Prix — a starting position that still could not prevent him from taking victory.

This time, however, Ferrari arrives at Interlagos in a more difficult position. Leclerc described Friday as one of the toughest of the season, and team principal Frédéric Vasseur acknowledged there was significant work still to be done before the race.