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Archive photo · 25 August 2024Verstappen Sets Fastest Lap in Brazil as Hamilton and Leclerc Face Grid Penalties
6 Other1 Western MainstreamPhoto: Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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Verstappen set fastest lap in final practice at the Brazil Grand Prix. Verstappen, Hamilton, and Leclerc will receive grid penalties for engine component changes.
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Penalties at Interlagos
Max Verstappen set the fastest lap in the last practice session on Saturday at the Brazil Grand Prix in Interlagos, ahead of F1 champion Kimi Antonelli by 0.025 seconds. Organizers informed several drivers they would face penalties in Sunday’s race after making changes to their power units beyond the allowed limit for the season, with Verstappen and Ferrari drivers among those affected. Verstappen was set to receive a total grid penalty of 30 positions for the complete power unit change, while Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were handed 10-place penalties on the grid after exceeding their season allocations by installing new internal combustion engines.
George Russell was scheduled to drop five positions for new engine components, and Sergio Pérez was set to start at the back after his car was equipped with several new components. F1 announced on Saturday that Sao Paulo’s Interlagos circuit had extended its contract to host a grand prix until 2035, with Stefano Domenicali saying: "this five-year extension will see us continue racing in Sao Paulo until 2035."
Who drops and why
Verstappen would start from the back of the grid while Hamilton and Leclerc would both have 10-place penalties, and they joined Mercedes driver George Russell in having penalties for using too many engine parts. Verstappen would have an all-new engine fitted after Red Bull discovered problems after Friday practice, and Leclerc, Hamilton and Russell had all fitted new internal combustion engines. Formula 1’s regulations described in Formula 1’s report said the first time the allocation of any one of the elements is exceeded, a 10-place grid penalty is applied, with the second time resulting in a five-place grid drop.
Formula 1’s report further said that if a driver incurs a penalty exceeding 15 grid places, they will be required to start the race at the back of the field regardless. Formula 1’s report said Verstappen’s back-of-the-grid start came after he amassed 30 places worth of penalties, while it said Russell was already confirmed to take a five-place grid penalty this weekend for a similar engine change.
Combacks and race outlook
Starting from the back at Interlagos does not necessarily mean a lost race for the frontrunners, pointing to Hamilton’s comeback from the back in 2021 and Verstappen’s victory from 17th place in 2024.
“The balance was not good. I think the tarmac is the opposite of one week ago.”
Verstappen’s penalty involved a complete power unit change that sent him to the very back of the grid, while Ferrari’s planned engine change on Hamilton and Leclerc’s SF-26s cost them a 10-place grid penalty each.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said: "The balance was not good. I think the tarmac is the opposite of one week ago."
Sergio Perez was equipped with a new internal combustion engine, turbocharger, and MGU-K, and he would also start from the back for Sunday’s race.
Rain was predicted overnight from Saturday into Sunday in the city, with forecasts saying it could rain at any point on race day.