Max Verstappen, current F1 front-runner, to receive grid penalty in Sao Paulo race
The current leader of Formula 1, Max Verstappen, will incur a grid penalty at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday as confirmed by Red Bull Racing's Helmut Marko in an interview with Speedweek on Wednesday.
The three-time consecutive F1 world champion will be introducing his sixth internal combustion engine of the season, which exceeds the limit of four and will result in penalties.
Marko explained that Verstappen was forced to use two engines during the previous race in Mexico City, where he finished in sixth place and his lead over Lando Norris of McLaren decreased to 47 points with only four races left in the season.
"The pace was also not up to par due to the engine issue, which required us to install a different engine that had already reached its maximum usage and was not intended for racing," Marko stated.
"This was one of the reasons why we were one of the slowest cars on the straightaways. When a Formula 1 engine reaches a certain number of kilometers, the decrease in performance is quite noticeable."
"We are currently looking into the possibility of using the engine with the leak again. However, due to the number of kilometers it has already been used, it is not planned to be used again. This means that we have no choice but to change the engine in Brazil, resulting in a penalty."
Since Verstappen had already received a 10-place grid penalty at the Belgian GP in July for exceeding the limit of four engines, it is reported that he will only receive a five-place penalty this weekend for a second infringement.
