Max Verstappen braced for FIA penalty at Brazilian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen has had a few run ins with the FIA over the course of his F1 career
Red Bull has confirmed that Max Verstappen will start at the back of Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix following an engine change.
Verstappen enters the Brazilian Grand Prix having won three of the last four races.
FIA confirms Max Verstappen grid penalty for Brazilian Grand Prix
The four-time world champion’s victory in Mexico last weekend saw him move into second place in the drivers’ championship, with Verstappen currently two points ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen was classified third in both practice sessions on Friday, trailing Mercedes driver and newly crowned F1 2026 world champion Kimi Antonelli by 0.259 seconds in FP2 in Sao Paulo.
Ahead of qualifying at Interlagos, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies confirmed that Verstappen will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid after a complete change of engine.
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Verstappen memorably overcame a grid penalty to win in Brazil in 2024, triumphing from 17th on the grid to take a major step towards a fourth consecutive world championship.
The 29-year-old also recovered from a pit-lane start to finish third at Interlagos last year.
Mekies told Sky F1 ahead of FP3 in Brazil: “As you may or may not know, we will have to take an engine penalty with Max.
“He will start from the back, a position he knows very well here after the last two years.
“He has done a few miracles in the past here starting from the back and we are sure that he will do a few more this year.”
The FIA stewards are expected to confirm the full details of Verstappen’s engine change ahead of qualifying at Interlagos.
More on Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing from PlanetF1.com
The news of Verstappen’s grid penalty comes after it emerged on Friday that George Russell, the Mercedes driver, will serve a five-place grid penalty after moving on to a sixth internal combustion engine of the F1 2026 season.
Hamilton is also expected to take a grid drop in Brazil.
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