Red Bull would have swapped Verstappen and Hadjar in Brazil

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has confirmed the team would have instructed Max Verstappen to hand second place back to Isack Hadjar at the São Paulo Grand Prix, had the pair stayed close on track. Verstappen had started from 21st after a power unit penalty and was allowed through by Hadjar on lap 38 to chase race leader Lando Norris.

Mekies said the team would have made the switch if the cars had remained together, adding that Hadjar had strong pace and stayed with Verstappen after the swap. However, the gap grew as the race progressed and rain intensified, which made a further swap impractical.

Verstappen finished second behind Norris, with Hadjar third, giving Red Bull a double podium in the rain-affected 71-lap race. Mekies praised the pair for working strongly together to secure the result.