Verstappen hopes for safety cars in wet Sao Paulo GP

Max Verstappen has said he would like the Sao Paulo Grand Prix to feature plenty of safety cars, which he believes could help him recover from the back of the grid. The Red Bull driver will start from the rear at Interlagos after his team fitted a new power unit to his RB22 following an issue on Friday.

Verstappen completed Q1 in the wet qualifying session but did not run in Q2, choosing to save tyres. He described that decision as the right call, saying he had not been fighting for anything and that his focus was on the race. He noted that the car looked competitive throughout.

He leads Lewis Hamilton, who is also taking an engine penalty, by two points in the drivers' standings. Verstappen said he hoped to clear the cars in front quickly and would simply start from lap one to see where he finished.