Arabic version: هاميلتون وفيرستابن يواجهان عقوبات على شبكة انطلاق ساو باولو

According to BBC News, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will start from the back of the grid for Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix after power-unit changes. Hamilton’s Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc and Mercedes driver George Russell will also take grid penalties.

Hamilton had initially received a 10-place penalty for exceeding his seasonal power-unit allowance. However, the new internal combustion engine fitted to his car on Saturday morning failed during final practice. Ferrari then chose to install an entirely new power-unit, resulting in the larger penalty.

Red Bull fitted Verstappen with an all-new engine after discovering problems following Friday practice. Leclerc and Russell have both taken new internal combustion engines. Leclerc’s penalty is 10 places, while Russell’s is five places. Ferrari have exceeded the limit of four engines per season on Leclerc’s car for the first time, whereas Russell had already gone beyond that limit.

Verstappen previously won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix from 17th on the grid after an engine penalty in a wet race. Qualifying is set to be wet after rain began about an hour before the session, with rain expected to continue overnight and forecasts indicating it could fall at any point on race day. Formula 1 also announced on Saturday that Interlagos had extended its contract to host a grand prix until 2035. F1 president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali said the five-year extension would keep the series racing in Sao Paulo until 2035.