Verstappen to start 21st at Sao Paulo after power unit penalty

Max Verstappen will start from 21st on the grid for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after Red Bull fitted his RB22 with an entirely new power unit. He still took part in a heavily delayed and rain-affected qualifying at Interlagos, reaching Q2 before choosing not to run in that session to save wet tyres. Verstappen said he had "lost 12 hours of my life I'll never get back", adding that he had watched Premier League football before getting back in the car.

Verstappen does not expect a repeat of his charge from 17th to victory at Sao Paulo in 2024. He pointed to the absence of DRS and the limits of the overtake mode on the long straight, saying passing will be much harder than normal. Lando Norris starts Sunday's 71-lap race from pole, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli alongside him on the front row for Mercedes.