Lewis Hamilton will start the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in 20th place, ahead of Max Verstappen, despite carrying the largest grid penalty of any driver at the event. The seven-time world champion has accumulated 75 places' worth of penalties, yet the rules mean he will not start from the very back of the grid.
Penalty details and causes
Ferrari had planned a 10-place grid drop for both their drivers after giving them a new internal combustion engine for this event, which took them beyond their annual allocations. While Charles Leclerc's change went smoothly, Hamilton's new ICE developed a problem in the final hour of practice, causing damage that forced Ferrari to replace the whole power unit.
A sixth ICE has been added to his pool, along with a new turbocharger, exhaust set, energy store, control electronics unit, MGU-K and power unit ancillary component. In total, these new parts have incurred penalties worth 75 places.
How the grid was decided
Verstappen also took several new components, worth 30 places of penalties. Under F1 rules, any penalty worth more than 15 places is converted into an automatic back-of-grid start, which applies to both drivers. The starting order is then decided based on qualifying results.
Sergio Perez is the other driver with enough penalties to start from the back, and he went out in Q1, so he will be 22nd on the provisional grid. Verstappen did not head out in Q2, saving his intermediate and wet tyres for Sunday in case more heavy rain falls on race day.
Qualifying outcome and grid positions
Lando Norris took pole position in wet conditions. George Russell thought he had taken it but was told to abort his final flying lap as the rain worsened, ending up second on the road; he serves a five-second grid penalty and drops to seventh, with Kimi Antonelli inheriting the front row. Liam Lawson and Nico Hulkenberg put Racing Bulls and Audi respectively on the second row.
Hamilton is due to start 20th, with Brazil's Gabriel Bortoleto on the penultimate row alongside the Ferrari racer after a crash in Q1 ruined his home qualifying bid. The full indicative grid sees Norris on pole, followed by Antonelli, Lawson, Hulkenberg, Isack Hadjar, Oliver Bearman, Russell, Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon and Oscar Piastri, with Hamilton, Verstappen and Perez at the back.
