Lando Norris given F1 title boost as Max Verstappen could take Brazil engine penalty

Max Verstappen could be forced to take a grid penalty for this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix as Red Bull consider changing his engine.

Verstappen was forced to revert to an older engine after his Friday running was plagued due to a power unit issue.

The Dutchman recovered to put his Red Bull on the front row of the grid ahead of F1 title rival Lando Norris.

However, Red Bull’s challenge dissipated in the race as Verstappen struggled for straight-line speed, losing out to Carlos Sainz at the Safety Car restart.

Verstappen then was involved in two separate incidents with Norris, picking up 20 seconds worth of time penalties as a result.

The three-time world champion ultimately finished sixth, and with Norris in second, saw his championship lead reduce by 10 points.

Red Bull are now considering giving him a new engine for the final four races as they look to stay in title contention.

With overtaking opportunities plenty in Brazil, it would be an obvious choice for Red Bull if they decide to take a new engine.

Speaking to Motorsport.com, Marko said: “More alarming is that we couldn't make the tyres work - both medium and hard.

“We were nowhere near the two front teams, and I guess part of the problem is that Friday, we couldn't drive because of the engine problems.

“We have to do something, that's clear. We also will have a change the engine because we had been so slow on the straight.

“This engine, which was in the car, was not supposed to be in the car, so most likely Brazil could happen.”

Marko also confirmed to Austrian broadcaster ORF that the engine Verstappen was running in Mexico was only intended for practice sessions, suggesting the performance of it wasn’t close to its peak.

Marko explained: “The engine we had in there was no longer intended for the race, and the older an engine gets, the more its performance diminishes,” he said.

“The penalty would be five places. That wouldn't be so severe in Brazil, for example, where you can overtake relatively easily. But we saw that we were missing three to eight km/h on the straights.”