by Lando Norris has been given new impetus in his quest for his first Formula 1 world title with Max Verstappen forced to drop off the grid for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Red Bull boss Helmut Marko confirmed that his star driver and championship leader will undergo an engine change for the upcoming race in Sao Paulo.
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There was strong speculation about the swap because the Dutchman had to use an older engine at the last Mexican Grand Prix after a failure in Friday training.
Verstappen, who finished sixth in Sunday’s race, suffered huge losses in speed and was further hampered by two ten-second penalties for driving Norris off the track on lap one.
Marko confirmed the engine change in his Speedweek column and said: “The pace wasn’t right either because the engine problem meant that a different engine had to be installed, which had reached the end of its life and was actually no longer intended for racing. “
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“That was one of the reasons why we were one of the slowest cars on the straights. When a Formula 1 engine has reached a certain number of kilometers, the loss of power is clearly noticeable.”
“We are currently checking whether we can use the engine with the leak again. But here too, due to the number of kilometers, an operation is no longer planned.”
“All of this means that in Brazil we cannot avoid changing the engine, with the corresponding penalty.”
Penalties range from a drop of five places on the grid for a component change to a drop to 20th for a complete engine overhaul.
Brazil, which is hosting the 20th of 24 races this season, is considered the best place to absorb a drop in grid position as the legendary track is ideal for overtaking.
Marko added: “That wouldn’t be so bad because it’s relatively easy to overtake. This decline is less serious than an old engine. But the main problem in Mexico was that we didn’t get the tires into the right temperature window.”
In 2021, in the title fight with Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton achieved the famous feat of a total of 24 overtaking maneuvers in the sprint on Saturday and the main race on Sunday, with the power of a fresh Mercedes on display for all to see.
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The 2024 event will also be a sprint weekend, but Verstappen’s penalty does not apply to Saturday’s shortened race.
However, any news is good news for Norris, who took ten points from Verstappen last time out as the title rivals once again clashed on track, but stewards cracked down on the Red Bull driver for “dangerous” behavior. Driving style, as Norris called it.
The two are now separated by 47 points as two of the last four races took place on sprint weekends, meaning both drivers will be fighting for a maximum of 116 points.
