Red Bull's Verstappen handed 5-place grid penalty after another engine change

SAO PAULO (AP) — Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has received a five-place grid penalty at the Brazilian Grand Prix after he again decided to change his engine.

His move could improve the chances of McLaren's Lando Norris in Sunday's race to reduce the Dutchman's 47-point lead in Formula 1.

The FIA confirmed the Verstappen decision on Friday. Drivers are allowed to use four engines throughout the season. Verstappen is up to six.

He clocked the 15th best time during the morning practice, one second behind Norris, who was fastest. Later, he finished fourth in the sprint race qualifier, 0.320 seconds behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri, the leader.

Verstappen served a 10-place grid penalty for using his fifth engine at July’s Belgian GP.

The three-time F1 champion leads the overall standings with four races to go.

During his press conference on Thursday, Verstappen expressed doubts about whether he would change his engine for Brazil.

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AP Formula 1: https://apnews.com/hub/formula-one