Hamilton, Leclerc and Verstappen all hit with Sao Paulo Grand Prix penalties after power unit changes

Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen will take grid drops at this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix after Ferrari and Red Bull changed power unit components within their cars.

Ferrari have exceeded the season allowance for the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) on both Hamilton and Leclerc’s cars, earning 10-place drops. However, Hamilton is now set for an additional penalty that will see him start from the back of the grid after the Scuderia were forced to change the whole power unit, with the new engine suffering problems in FP3.

Red Bull, meanwhile, have gone over the limit for the ICE, Turbo Charger and Exhaust on Verstappen’s car, earning him a back-of-the-grid start after he amassed 30 places worth of penalties.

In another change, 2026 newcomers Cadillac have given Sergio Perez a new Ferrari ICE, Turbo Charger and Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K), which also leads to a back-of-the-grid start for the Mexican.

As per the regulations, the first time the allocation of any one of the elements is exceeded, a 10-place grid penalty is applied, with the second time this occurs (and so on) resulting in a five-place grid drop – all penalties at the same event applying in a cumulative manner.

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.

Hamilton, Verstappen and Leclerc are therefore set to tumble down the order from wherever they qualify on Saturday, setting up recovery drives in Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Hamilton famously recovered from the back of the grid across the Sprint and Grand Prix in Sao Paulo back in 2021 – having been disqualified from Friday Qualifying for a Drag Reduction System irregularity, and a subsequent five-place grid penalty for an engine change.

Verstappen also delivered comebacks in 2024 (when he started 17th after a dramatic Qualifying session and an engine penalty, and rose to victory) and 2025 (when Red Bull made various changes to his car after another tough Qualifying, meaning he started from the pit lane, before climbing to third).

Mercedes driver George Russell had already confirmed that he will be taking a five-place grid penalty this weekend for a similar engine change.