São Paulo Grand Prix · Debrief
Hamilton, Leclerc and Verstappen hit with São Paulo grid penalties
Hamilton and Leclerc face 10-place drops, Verstappen starts from the back, and Perez and Russell also have power unit penalties in São Paulo.
Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen are set to start the São Paulo Grand Prix well down the grid after power unit changes, joining George Russell and Sergio Perez among the drivers facing penalties in Brazil.
Ferrari has exceeded its season allocation of internal combustion engines for Hamilton and Leclerc, giving each a 10-place grid drop. Red Bull has gone beyond the limits for Verstappen’s engine, turbocharger and exhaust, leaving him with a back-of-the-grid penalty. Cadillac has also fitted Perez with a new Ferrari engine, turbocharger and MGU-K, resulting in a grid penalty.
Power unit limits shape the starting order
The penalty system applies a 10-place drop the first time a car exceeds the allocation for an element. Further breaches bring five-place penalties, and penalties incurred at the same event are added together. Any driver whose total exceeds 15 places must start from the back of the field.
That leaves Hamilton and Leclerc facing substantial drops from their qualifying positions, while Verstappen is due to start at the rear. The source does not specify the size of Perez’s penalty. Russell had already confirmed he would take a five-place penalty after a similar engine change.
The grid changes add another complication to the weekend as drivers prepare for Saturday qualifying and Sunday’s race. Follow the action with our 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix live timing, and see the São Paulo GP preview for a look at the circuit, tyres and strategy.
Past Interlagos recoveries offer a reference point
Hamilton has previously fought back from the rear at Interlagos. In 2021, he recovered across the Sprint and Grand Prix after being disqualified from Friday qualifying for a DRS irregularity and then receiving a five-place engine-change penalty.
Verstappen also has recent examples of making progress from difficult starting positions. He began 17th in 2024 after a challenging qualifying session and an engine penalty, then went on to win. In 2025, Red Bull changes after another difficult qualifying session meant he started from the pit lane; he climbed to third.
This time, the extent of the recovery challenge will depend on where each driver qualifies before the penalties are applied. Hamilton and Leclerc will lose 10 places, while Verstappen’s listed penalty sends him to the back of the grid.