Verstappen to start the São Paulo Grand Prix from the back after Red Bull engine change

Max Verstappen will start the São Paulo Grand Prix from the back of the grid, wherever he qualifies on Saturday, after Red Bull fitted a new internal combustion engine, turbocharger and exhaust beyond his season allocation. He set the fastest time in final practice at Interlagos only hours before the penalty was confirmed.

Update, 7 November: Lando Norris took pole in the wet ahead of George Russell, who drops five places, and Verstappen and Hamilton start from the back. Qualifying report: Norris takes pole for the São Paulo Grand Prix.

Qualifying and race results, plus the official starting grid: São Paulo Grand Prix 2026 results. Start times (local, UK, CET and US Eastern): São Paulo Grand Prix 2026 start times.

Five drivers take grid penalties at Interlagos

Verstappen is not alone. Formula 1 confirmed on Saturday afternoon that five drivers will start lower than they qualify, all because of power unit changes:

• Max Verstappen (Red Bull): over the limit for the internal combustion engine, turbocharger and exhaust. Back of the grid.
• Sergio Pérez (Cadillac): a new Ferrari engine, turbocharger and MGU-K. He joins Verstappen at the back.
• Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari): over the season allowance for the internal combustion engine. Ten places.
• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): the same engine change as his team-mate. Ten places.
• George Russell (Mercedes): a five-place penalty for an engine change, confirmed earlier in the weekend.

The rule behind it is simple. The first time a driver goes over the allocation for a power unit element, he drops ten places; every further element costs five more. Penalties at the same event add up, and anything above fifteen places sends the driver to the back. With three new elements, Verstappen and Pérez both pass that line, so their order at the back is decided by their qualifying times. More on how the stewards apply penalties: F1 stewards, penalties and appeals explained.

Fastest in final practice, last on the grid

The timing could hardly be more painful for Red Bull. In final practice Verstappen lapped in 1:11.622, 0.025 seconds quicker than Kimi Antonelli and 0.131 seconds ahead of Lando Norris, according to the official classification. Hamilton completed only seven laps in that session and was twelfth; Leclerc was fifth, Russell fourth.

For Ferrari, the double ten-place drop makes Saturday a damage-limitation exercise: a good qualifying lap still matters, because the penalty is applied from the position each driver earns. The same goes for Russell, who loses five places from wherever he qualifies.

Interlagos has seen Verstappen do this twice before

Starting at the back is not new for Verstappen in São Paulo. In 2024 he started 17th after a difficult qualifying and an engine penalty, and won the race. In 2025 Red Bull made changes to his car after another tough qualifying, he started from the pit lane and still finished third, as Formula 1 recalled on Saturday.

Our hunch

Red Bull chose to take the hit here for a reason. Interlagos is short, has two long straights and usually offers overtaking, and Verstappen’s pace in final practice suggests the car is quick. With the title already decided, a fresh power unit for the final rounds is worth more than a few grid places in Brazil. A podium from the back is not a fantasy on this track; a win would need rain or a well-timed safety car, as in 2024.

Qualifying at 19:00 CET, the race on Sunday at 18:00 CET

Qualifying starts at 15:00 local time (18:00 UK, 19:00 CET, 13:00 ET). The penalties are applied to the final qualifying order, and the official starting grid follows on our results page. The 71-lap race starts on Sunday at 14:00 local (17:00 UK, 18:00 CET, 12:00 ET). Friday’s running: Antonelli fastest in São Paulo FP2, Câmara 16th on his Haas home debut.

Sources: Formula 1 (formula1.com), penalty overview of 7 November 2026 and the official Practice 3 classification; FIA São Paulo Grand Prix documents.

Can Verstappen reach the podium from the back for a second year running at Interlagos? Tell us in the comments.