Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will incur a five-place grid penalty in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, which gives McLaren rival Lando Norris an early potential advantage. FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer confirmed that the 27-year-old Verstappen will have his sixth internal combustion engine for the campaign, one more than the allowed four. A second infringement means he gets a five-place penalty; he lost ten places at the Belgian Grand Prix when taking his fifth engine.
The penalty, however, may be less damaging on the overtaking-friendly track of Interlagos, which Verstappen has shown he can master. Four races remain, and with a 47-point advantage over Norris, he is still in a good place as he pursues a third successive championship.
Meanwhile, Red Bull has made changes for Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez, who in the last races has struggled to score consistently. Perez will race a new chassis in Brazil after concerns were raised over the performance. Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan confirmed the switch, saying, “The boys got a bit of work, but they didn’t mind.”
However, with 120 points still available in the final rounds, Brazilian GP could prove to be that key momentum needed by both drivers as the season begins its climax.
