Red Bull’s reigning F1 champion, Max Verstappen, is set to incur a critical five-place grid penalty at the Brazilian Grand Prix as he introduces a sixth internal combustion engine this season, surpassing the four-engine limit and intensifying his title battle with McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Helmut Marko confirmed the change, stating that Verstappen’s recent sixth-place finish in Mexico City stemmed from an engine swap after a problematic engine leak. “The engine issue forced us to install a power unit that was reaching the end of its lifecycle,” Marko explained. “It was never intended for racing again, and it made us one of the slowest on the straights. When an F1 engine has too many kilometers, the loss in performance becomes noticeable.”
Verstappen’s current lead over Norris has slimmed to just 47 points with four races left. Marko revealed Red Bull is investigating if the engine with the leak could potentially be used again, but with its high mileage, Red Bull has little choice but to proceed with a new engine in Brazil.
Verstappen’s last grid penalty for exceeding the engine limit came at the Belgian GP in July, where he received a 10-place penalty. However, a second infringement will reportedly result in a reduced five-place penalty under F1’s penalty guidelines.
The timing couldn’t be more critical, with Brazil’s Interlagos circuit being one of the season’s last high-stakes opportunities.
