Verstappen to start from back in Brazil after engine change

Red Bull has confirmed that Max Verstappen will start the Brazilian Grand Prix from the back of the grid after a complete change of engine. Team principal Laurent Mekies said Verstappen would take an engine penalty, adding that the driver knows the position well after recovering from low starting positions at Interlagos in recent years.

Verstappen won in Brazil in 2024 from 17th on the grid and finished third there last year from a pit-lane start. He currently sits second in the drivers' championship, two points ahead of Lewis Hamilton, having won three of the last four races. The FIA stewards are expected to confirm full details of the engine change ahead of qualifying.

George Russell of Mercedes is also set to serve a five-place grid penalty after taking a sixth internal combustion engine this season, and Hamilton is expected to take a grid drop too.