Red Bull planning changes to Verstappen's car for Sao Paulo

Red Bull are planning "quite a few changes" to Max Verstappen's car before Qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, after he reported clutch and steering issues during Free Practice. Verstappen finished third in both FP1 and FP2, but struggled with downshifts, a recurring problem this season, and described the steering as a "workout" before ending the second session slightly early.

Head of Race Strategy Hannah Schmitz said the team would use a different steering wheel for the rest of the weekend and was looking into a number of changes on Verstappen's side. She said the issues were known and could be worked on, and that there was still considerable potential in the car.

Schmitz also warned that unpredictable weather at Interlagos could affect Saturday's Qualifying, with heavy rain forecast in the afternoon and uncertainty over whether the session will run at the scheduled time.