Max Verstappen faces five-place grid penalty ahead of Brazil GP after engine change

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Brazil GP: Max Verstappen faces five-place grid penalty.

SAO PAULO -- Championship frontrunner Max Verstappen will face a five-place grid penalty at Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix after Red Bull elected to fit his car with a sixth engine for the season.

Verstappen currently enjoys a 47-point lead over his nearest competitor, Lando Norris, with 34 points still available for any driver over the weekend's sprint race and grand prix.

While the grid penalty will not affect Saturday's sprint race, Verstappen will drop five places from wherever he qualifies for Sunday's main event.

Formula 1 regulations permit each car to use a maximum of four engines per season. Any engine used beyond this allotment incurs a grid penalty. Verstappen's fifth engine, used at the Belgian Grand Prix, resulted in a ten-place drop since it was his first breach of the quota. This weekend's sixth engine triggers a five-place penalty according to the sport's rules.

Recurring engine issues during practice for the Mexican Grand Prix signaled the necessity for Verstappen to incorporate a new power unit before the season concludes.

The Interlagos circuit, known for its several overtaking opportunities, may help Verstappen mitigate the penalty's impact on his championship standings.

"Honestly, it's something that is always unknown," Verstappen commented. "You think that one particular track is the best place to take an engine or whatever penalty, but it's never guaranteed."

As the season heads toward its closing stages, all eyes will be on how this penalty might shake up the title race come Sunday’s action-packed race day.

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