Brazilian Grand Prix 2024: Verstappen imposes grid penalty

Championship leader Max Verstappen has to accept a penalty of five starting places at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

The Dutchman's Red Bull team installed a new combustion engine and Verstappen had already exceeded his annual quota.

The penalty means that the highest position in which Verstappen can start the race on Sunday is sixth. In training on Friday he was 15th fastest.

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

Norris finished training fastest and beat Mercedes driver George Russell by 0.181 seconds on his final lap.

Oliver Bearman, who replaced Kevin Magnussen in the Haas for the sprint after the Dane fell ill, made it into the top three Brits in training.

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

Haas driver Nico Hülkenberg, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Alpine's Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10.

Lewis Hamilton finished 16th in the Mercedes, just as Verstappen didn't manage a lap on the soft tire.

Verstappen started a run on soft tires towards the end of the session, but stopped before the end. He was about 0.1 seconds off Russell's pace until he backed off in the final corner.

Hamilton didn't use the soft tires at all, preferring to save them for the rest of the weekend.