Max Verstappen could be set for an engine change grid penalty at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, with Red Bull worried about his lack of straightline speed.

The Dutchman had a difficult time in the Mexico GP with engine problems during practice on Friday forcing an unprompted power unit switch for the rest of the weekend.

And while the use of his pool engine meant no further mechanical issues, its high mileage meant a decline in its performance and hampered the three-time world champion in the race.

Speed trap figures across the start/finish straight, before DRS is activated, showed Verstappen topped out at 251.4km/h – which was well adrift of team-mate Sergio Perez on 253.4km/h.

Verstappen was second slowest of all at the first intermediate trap, logging 299.6km/h compared to Perez on 303.1 and title rival Lando Norris on 307.9km/h.

With Red Bull already on the back foot with its RB20 struggling to match the race form of Ferrari and McLaren, the team knows it probably needs to commit to a fresh power unit to help boost Verstappen’s hopes – and Interlagos makes sense because it is a track where overtaking is easier.

While the key talking point after the race for Verstappen was on his penalties for driving infringements against Norris, Red Bull says that the lack of speed is a much bigger worry.

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko told Motorsport.com: “More alarming is that we couldn’t make the tyres work – both medium and hard.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

“We were nowhere near the two front teams, and I guess part of the problem is that Friday, we couldn’t drive because of the engine problems.

“We have to do something, that’s clear. We also will have a change the engine because we had been so slow on the straight.

“This engine, which was in the car, was not supposed to be in the car, so most likely Brazil could happen.”

Speaking to Austrian broadcaster ORF, Marko said that the engine Verstappen used in the Mexico race had only been intended to be used in practice sessions for the remainder of the campaign.

“The engine we had in there was no longer intended for the race, and the older an engine gets, the more its performance diminishes,” he said.

“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.”

Verstappen currently holds a 47-point advantage over Norris in the standings, and any engine penalty would only mean a grid drop for the main grand prix rather than the sprint race that Brazil will host on the Saturday.

VR46 has announced that Andrea Iannone will return to MotoGP for the first time since 2019, replacing Fabio di Giannantonio in this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix.

The news was made official on Monday morning, as di Giannantonio prepares to undergo a surgery on the left shoulder he broke in Austria in mid-August, leaving him out of action for the last two races of the year.

His substitute Iannone, now 35-years-old, previously spent seven seasons competing in the premier class, including four within the Ducati fold. The highlight of that stint a sole victory in 2016 at the Red Bull Ring, the first for the Borgo Panigale marque since Casey Stoner’s string of success in 2010.

But in 2019, coincidentally in Malaysia, Iannone tested positive for Drostanolone, an anabolic steroid present on the list of prohibited substances of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

He was sanctioned with a period of disqualification of one-and-a-half years, which was later extended to four years by the Court of Arbitration (CAS).

He was riding for Aprilia at that point in 2019, having joined the then-struggling Noale marque on a two-year deal.

Andrea Iannone, Team Go Eleven

Photo by: Ducati Corse

It wasn’t until the start of 2024 that the Italian could make a comeback in professional motorcycle racing, joining the satellite Go Eleven Ducati team in the World Superbike Championship.

Having impressed on production-based machinery this year with victory in Aragon and eighth-place finish in the standings, Iannone has been given a chance to return to MotoGP 1814 days after his last appearance in the series.

Ducati was considering a number of riders to replace di Giannantonio, who timed his surgery in a way that will put him in the best possible position for pre-season testing in 2025. But VR46, under the decisive influence of team owner Valentino Rossi, has taken a more eye-catching route.

The Italian, who will continue with Go Eleven in WSBK next year, is also in contention to ride one of VR46’s GP23 bikes in next month’s Valencia finale.

Iannone is being drafted into the team at a time when di Giannantonio feels he is performing at the optimum level, despite the injured shoulder.

“It’s a bummer to stop now, as I’m feeling better than ever this season, I think I’m at my best,” he said after finishing a strong fourth in Sunday’s wet-weather Thailand Grand Prix.

Di Giannantonio has been one of the revelations of the year and his speed has been recognised by Ducati, which has signed him directly to its factory roster for 2025.

He will be the only rider other than factory team duo Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia to be allowed to run the latest-spec GP25 bike in 2025.

“‘It’s very important to be fully recovered for the first test at Sepang in February, so I’m going to have surgery this week,” said the 26-year-old. “That way I will meet the deadlines set by the doctors.”

Lando Norris believes Formula 1 title rival Max Verstappen “got what he had coming to him” after his on-track conduct was dealt with severely by the Mexico Grand Prix stewards.

As the Red Bull Racing driver struggled for pace, he dropped from the lead into the clutches of third-placed Norris and, on lap 10, the Briton made his move.

Unlike in the controversial incident a week prior in Austin, Norris ensured his front axle was ahead of Verstappen’s at the apex of Turn 4, meaning he had to be given racing room.

However, Verstappen drove to the white line, forcing Norris off the track. Cutting the grass, the McLaren driver gained a position off the track, but was soon forced to take avoiding action when, at Turn 8, Verstappen lunged wildly on Norris, again forcing both drivers off the track and retaking second position.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

For both instances, Verstappen received 10-second penalties – the first for forcing another driver off the track, and the second for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

“I don’t think I need to say much,” said Norris. “I think it’s pretty self-explanatory on what happened.

“I did everything I’ve been told in terms of what the rules are and the guidelines and all of this stuff, yet it just wasn’t to be and, of course, he got some penalties for that.”

Regarding the lengths he believes Verstappen would go to topple his title challenge, Norris added: “I go into every race expecting a tough battle with Max.

“It’s clear that it doesn’t matter if he wins or second, his only job is to beat me in the race, and he’ll sacrifice himself to do that, like he did today [Sunday].

“But I want to have good battles with him. I want to have those tough battles, like I’ve seen him have plenty of times. But fair ones.

“It’s always going to be on the line. It’s always going to be tough with Max. He’s never going to make anyone’s life easy, especially mine at this point of the year. But I think today was just… It was not fair, clean racing, and therefore, I think he got what he had coming to him.”

Ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, discussions will take place between the FIA, the single seater commission and the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association to discuss potential changes to guidelines used as rules of engagement.

These will then be discussed with drivers in Qatar before being implemented potentially for that weekend and the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In a chaotic Mexican Grand Prix, penalties shake up the World Championship standings as Ferrari claims first and third. Alex Kalinauckas and Stuart Codling dive into Max Verstappen’s controversial moves, Lando Norris’s impressive second-place finish, and Ferrari’s under-the-radar success.

00:00 Welcome to the Mexico GP Recap

00:19 Ferrari’s Stunning 1st and 3rd Finish

00:56 Controversial Driving Standards Debate

01:13 Max Verstappen’s Double Penalty

02:39 FIA’s Penalty Inconsistency

04:05 Red Bull’s Struggles in Mexico

06:35 Mercedes Close Racing Battle

07:24 Ferrari’s Secret to Winning Quietly

10:31 Looking Ahead to Qatar GP

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George Russell has suggested that “19 out of 20” drivers are aligned on what Formula 1’s racing guidelines should be and was pleased to see “unfair” racing manoeuvres penalised at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Russell, who serves as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, has been vocal on the need for the drivers, stewards and the FIA to discuss the current guidelines on racing in the wake of the US Grand Prix’s contentious battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

Speaking in Mexico, where the two championship contenders once again came under scrutiny for their on-track actions – Verstappen penalised 20 seconds for two violations –  Russell said that he expected the stewards to continue to take a hard-line approach.

He revealed that all but one driver was happy for the stewards to change their approach with penalising certain incidents immediately after Austin, rather than wait until 2025 for new guidelines.

“I think the stewards are totally on board with what needs to change,” Russell said.

“Our view is…I think the biggest discussion is they wanted to wait until ’25, so it’s something consistent through this year. I would say 19 out of 20 drivers said, ‘well, if it’s incorrect, make the change today’.

“And I’m glad to see those incidents were punished and I suspect moving forward in Brazil what we saw today [Sunday] and what we saw last week [in Austin] you won’t be able to get away with.

“You presume [it should be easy to change if everyone agrees], but it sometimes seems more difficult than it has to be when things have to get approved and we’ve got to go to a vote app. But as I said, 19 out of 20, we’re all aligned on where it needs to be.”

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Russell pointed to his own battle with team-mate Lewis Hamilton as “hard and fair” racing, in which the younger Briton held off his team-mate until the start of the 66th lap.

He also had his say on the Verstappen/Norris incident, stating that the Dutchman’s Turn 7 move – in which he carried significant overspeed into the corner and ran Norris off – was something he hadn’t seen since Verstappen’s move on Hamilton at Brazil in 2021.

“It was nice to have the battle and it’s always good when you fight with Lewis because it’s hard and fair,” Russell said.

“At the moment you’re seeing a number of manoeuvres that are just…it’s getting beyond entertaining or beyond sporting, it’s just almost unfair to a point now.

“You can argue the first one was maybe 60-40. The last one, I’ve not seen anything like that since probably Brazil [2021].”

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