Hamilton & Verstappen to start from back in Brazil

Published7 November 2026, 15:01 GMT

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Max Verstappen will start from the back of the grid at Sunday's Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Hamilton's team-mate Charles Leclerc and Mercedes' George Russell will also have grid penalties, 10 places for Leclerc and five for Russell.

Russell qualified on the front row in second place on Saturday but will now drop down to seventh on the starting grid. Leclerc was fourth but will line up in 14th.

Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson and the Audi of Nico Hulkenberg were fifth and sixth in the top-10 shootout, and with Russell and Leclerc's penalties applied, the two drivers have been lifted up on to the second row, in third and fourth respectively.

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Hamilton initially had only a 10-place penalty for exceeding his power-unit allowance for the season, but the new internal combustion engine that was fitted on Saturday morning failed in final practice.

That meant Ferrari decided to fit an entire new power-unit to his car, hence the bigger penalty.

Verstappen had an all-new engine fitted after Red Bull discovered problems after Friday practice.

Leclerc and Russell have both fitted new internal combustion engines.

The penalty for Leclerc is bigger than Russell's because it is the first time Ferrari have exceeded the limit of four engines per season on his car, while Russell had already gone beyond that.

The four drivers are separated by just 16 points in the drivers' championship, in the battle to finish second behind Kimi Antonelli.

Verstappen famously won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix from 17th on the grid after an engine penalty in a wet race.

Sao Paulo Grand Prix

6-8 November

Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app

Qualifying was wet, after rain started about an hour before the session, and it is expected to continue overnight, with forecasts saying it could rain at any point on race day.

Meanwhile, F1 announced on Saturday that Sao Paulo's Interlagos circuit had extended its contract to host a grand prix until 2035.

F1 president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali said: "Brazil is an important part of F1's history and our future, and I am delighted that this five-year extension will see us continue racing in Sao Paulo until 2035.

"The passion of our Brazilian fans is extraordinary, and every time we return to Interlagos we feel their energy in the grandstands and in the city of Sao Paulo.

"The continued success and excitement surrounding the event shows why it holds such a special place on our calendar, and this agreement underlines our long-term commitment to Brazil."

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