Verstappen handed grid penalty for Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Championship leader Max Verstappen will have a five-place grid penalty at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

The Dutchman’s Red Bull team have fitted a new internal combustion engine, and Verstappen had already exceeded his allocation for the year.

The penalty means the highest position in which Verstappen can start the race on Sunday is sixth. He was 15th fastest in Friday’s practice session.

Verstappen is 47 points ahead of title rival Lando Norris of McLaren heading into the weekend, which also features a sprint race on Saturday.

Norris ended practice fastest, pipping Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.181 seconds with his final lap of the session.

Oliver Bearman, who is replacing Kevin Magnussen in the Haas for the sprint after the Dane became ill, made it a British top three in practice.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was fourth fastest, ahead of Williams driver Alex Albon and the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly completed the top 10.

Lewis Hamilton was 16th in the Mercedes, like Verstappen not completing a lap on the soft tyre.

Verstappen did start a soft-tyre run towards the end of the session but aborted it before the end. He had been 0.1secs or so off Russell’s pace until he backed off out of the final corner.

Hamilton did not use the soft tyres at all, preferring to save them for the remainder of the weekend. (BBC)