Multiple drivers, including Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Sergio Perez, will start the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix from the back of the grid due to accumulated power unit penalties. The FIA stewards have issued several grid drops at Interlagos, significantly altering the provisional starting order for Sunday’s race.
Max Verstappen received a 30-place grid penalty for exceeding his power unit component allocation. The Red Bull driver took a fifth internal combustion engine (ICE), a fifth turbocharger (TC), and a fifth exhaust system (EX) for the event.
Under the 2026 regulations, drivers are permitted four ICEs, four TCs, and four EXs per season. Each of Verstappen’s new components marked his first infringement in those specific areas, resulting in a 10-place penalty for each.
Lewis Hamilton faces the most substantial penalty, with a 65-place grid drop. Ferrari initially introduced a fifth ICE for Hamilton, incurring a 10-place penalty.
However, during Saturday’s Free Practice 3, Hamilton reported smoke from his cockpit, forcing him to return to the pits. Ferrari subsequently opted for a complete power unit change ahead of qualifying.
This full power unit replacement involved six of the seven components being new and beyond his season’s allocation, escalating his penalty to 65 places. Hamilton will start from the back of the grid.
Sergio Perez also incurred a 30-place grid penalty. The Cadillac driver introduced a fifth ICE, a fifth turbocharger, and a fourth MGU-K unit.
The 2026 regulations allow for three MGU-K units per season, making Perez’s fourth unit an infringement. He also received a formal warning from stewards for throwing a cable organiser from his car during FP3.
George Russell of Mercedes will serve a five-place grid penalty. This is due to taking a sixth internal combustion engine, his second ICE penalty in four races.
Russell had previously taken a significant 60-place penalty in Singapore for a suite of power unit component changes. Mercedes confirmed the decision to take the penalty in Brazil, aiming for a recovery drive.
Charles Leclerc, Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate, also received a 10-place grid penalty for taking a fifth ICE. This places him further down the grid for the race.
Under FIA regulations, any driver accumulating more than 15 cumulative grid position penalties must start from the back of the grid. Their relative positions are then determined by their qualifying performance.
Consequently, Hamilton, who qualified P11, will start P20. Verstappen, who qualified P16, will start P21, and Perez, who qualified P21, will start P22.
Two other drivers, Gabriel Bortoleto and Arvid Lindblad, also received 10-place penalties for new power unit parts. Bortoleto, driving for Audi, will start P19.
Lindblad, representing Racing Bulls, will start P12. These penalties further reshuffle the mid-field and back of the grid for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The 2026 power unit consists of six main components: the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), Turbocharger (TC), Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K), Energy Store (ES), Control Electronics (CE), and Exhaust (EX). The MGU-H was removed for the 2026 season.
The first time a driver exceeds the allocation for any component, a 10-place grid penalty is applied. Subsequent infringements for the same component incur a five-place penalty.
