Max Verstappen could be hit with yet another penalty next week in Brazil, as Red Bull confirms the team are considering taking a new engine that would result in a grid drop.
Despite Carlos Sainz dominating the Mexican Grand Prix from start to finish, all the talk has surrounded Verstappen as the world champion received a 20-second penalty for his moves on Lando Norris.
Verstappen was adjudged by the FIA to force Norris off the track at turn four and turn eight, with Verstappen himself leaving the track to gain an advantage.
The Dutchman's penalties resulted in a frustrating P6 finish in Mexico, meaning with Norris finishing P2 there is a 47-point gap between the pair heading into the Brazilian GP next week.
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Following the race Verstappen was also hit with two penalty points on his super license, but it might be about to get even worse for the world champion who could face a grid drop at Interlagos.
Verstappen was the slowest out of any car through the Mexico speed trap, meaning his engine is having significant performance issues.
With Red Bull already suffering major losses in the championship, it looks like the team will be forced to commit to a new engine for Verstappen even if that means yet another penalty.
Speaking after the race via Motorsport, Helmut Marko revealed the engine being run in Mexico was already too badly worn.
“This engine, which was in the car, was not supposed to be in the car, so most likely Brazil could happen," he explained.
“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.”
This means the best place Verstappen can hope for in Saturday's qualifying is P6, and that is if he manages to qualify fastest which is a big ask when considering the pace of Ferrari and McLaren.
Topics: Formula 1, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris
Tom Jenkins