Engine penalties mount in Sao Paulo. After Russell, Verstappen and probably Hamilton are next

The Sao Paulo Grand Prix could turn into an overtaking spectacle. Two top teams have already announced they will take penalties for changing engine components, and a third is expected to join them.

George Russell has changed his internal combustion engine following a string of technical problems. The FIA confirmed on Friday that he would incur a penalty. Having exceeded his allocation for the season, he will take a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race.

That, however, is nothing compared to the challenge facing Max Verstappen. The Dutch champion will receive an entirely new power unit on Saturday, Red Bull announced ahead of third practice. The engineers encountered minor problems with the previous unit on Friday and judged the risk of failure to be too high.

For Verstappen, that means starting from the back of the grid. On Sunday, he can therefore attempt another charge through the field and repeat his performance at the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, when he took an incredible victory from 17th on the grid.

Lewis Hamilton is expected to be the third driver to join them, according to The Race. Ferrari’s change is understood to have been planned, with the final decision taken after Friday’s running. A fresh unit featuring the ADUO 2 upgrade will come in handy for the Italian team, which was well off the pace on the straights on Friday.

Finally, Charles Leclerc’s power units are not in the best condition either. One option under consideration is for the Monegasque driver to fit a new unit in Las Vegas in two weeks’ time.