Max Verstappen is likely to face a grid penalty at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, as Red Bull is considering introducing a new engine that would incur a penalty for the championship leader.

Verstappen’s lead over Lando Norris was reduced to 47 points after he finished sixth in the Mexico City Grand Prix, four spots behind Norris. Having already received a 10-place grid penalty at the Belgian Grand Prix for exceeding the limit of four power units this season, he would only face a five-place penalty for this second infringement.

Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko, indicated that Verstappen’s struggles in Mexico were partly due to using an older engine. He noted that this weekend’s race in Brazil presents the best opportunity for an engine change among the remaining four rounds.

“The engine we had was no longer meant for racing, and older engines lose performance,” Marko explained. He added that a five-place penalty wouldn’t be too damaging in Brazil, where overtaking is relatively easy, but emphasized that they were down on straight-line speed.

Verstappen also received two 10-second penalties for incidents involving Norris during the race, compounding his difficulties after missing crucial practice time due to engine issues.

Marko stated, “We need to make changes, as we were nowhere near the front runners.” He confirmed that an engine change is likely, highlighting the need to improve their straight-line speed.

The Sao Paulo Grand Prix will feature a Sprint weekend, with the penalty impacting Sunday’s main race.