Hamilton starts Sao Paulo GP from back after engine change

Lewis Hamilton enjoyed the wet Qualifying session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, reaching Q2 and finishing 11th with a lap time of 1:30.001 before red flags ended his final run. He will nonetheless start Sunday's race from the back of the grid after Ferrari fitted another new power unit following smoke from his car in final practice, triggering a further penalty on top of the initial 10-place grid drop.

Team-mate Charles Leclerc reached Q3 and qualified fourth, but his original 10-place penalty means he will start from 14th. Hamilton said he had enjoyed driving in the rain and felt the car was good, particularly in Q1, adding that it was a shame about the penalty as he believed Ferrari had a car that could have fought further up the order.

Hamilton remains hopeful of making progress if similar conditions persist, saying he would give everything to work his way forward for the team.