Max Verstappen will take a five-place grid penalty for an engine change for Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix, as he moves on to his sixth internal combustion engine of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

The championship leader had already taken a new ICE beyond the allowable limit of four at July’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, this being the third successive year that Red Bull had chosen to take the hit at that circuit.

Following a series of power unit issues in Mexico’s Friday sessions, as an air leak kept Verstappen confined to the garage during the final part of FP1 and the majority of FP2, Red Bull has chosen to take another engine from outside its pool.

This means that Verstappen will lose five places from wherever he qualifies for Sunday’s grand prix, although his sprint race qualifying result will be unaffected.

Verstappen will also use a new exhaust system, taking him up to eight used throughout the season, with eight permitted through the year.

The Dutchman has been in an increasingly precarious situation with his engine allowance for much of the season, as a problem with one unit in practice for the Canadian Grand Prix in June led to a lengthy inspection – leading to a fourth ICE being used as early as Spain.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

This led to Red Bull taking a new Honda powerplant at Spa, but Verstappen has now lost another from his pool as a result of the issues in Mexico.

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko told Austrian broadcaster ORF that the engine eventually used at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez “was no longer intended for the race, and the older an engine gets, the more its performance diminishes.”

He added that the Red Bull was giving up approximately “three to eight km/h on the straights” thanks to the reduction in horsepower.

Asked on Thursday if Brazil was one of the less compromising races to take a power unit penalty, Verstappen responded that it was not a certainty that he could recover ground lost to a penalty.

“That is something that is always unknown. You think that one particular track is the best place to take an engine or whatever penalty, but it’s never guaranteed. But yeah, it’s a possibility.”

Sergio Perez has changed chassis for the Brazilian Grand Prix after Red Bull agreed to a request from the struggling Mexican driver.

In the wake of a hugely disappointing home outing for Perez in Mexico City last weekend, he has been looking for answers about why his form has been so disappointing in recent outings.

Red Bull has now confirmed that as part of its bid to do everything possible to help its driver, the team has agreed to swap chassis for this weekend’s Interlagos event to see if that brings any improvement.

Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan said: “We’ve changed him back into a different chassis, which we can do.

“He asked if we can, and we said fine. The boys have got a bit of work, but they didn’t mind.”

Monaghan clarified that this was a chassis that had been used previously this year, rather than being brand new.

“We don’t make a new one at this point of the season,” he said.

While he has been given a different chassis, Perez will continue to run an older-specification floor in Brazil compared to team-mate Max Verstappen – but hopes he will have the same spec by Las Vegas.

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Speaking about the new floor, Perez said: “We don’t have it at the moment. Hopefully for Vegas, as there will be a little bit more time.

“[It means] we are carrying a little bit of weight, and it is not ideal, but the team is doing the best they can.”

Monaghan has played down the differences though, suggesting the detailed tweaks are not that major to lead to a lap time deficit.

“Checo is on a different edge specification from Max,” said Monaghan. “So, if you look at the edge wing itself, it’s subtly different. It’s a small difference.

“The magnitude is, I would argue, small enough that it’s not going to cause him to have a significant difference to Max.

“We’ve done it like that purely and simply because it’s the best way to service two cars and ensure that we can service them fairly with spares.”

Red Bull also said that the brake problems that Perez complained about hurting his pace in Mexico were nothing major.

“I don’t know there was anything particularly wrong with the car, but the brake material, we don’t put it on for multiple events,” he added.

“We can vary the temperature of the brakes. Equally he can vary them if he sits in traffic and so on. But I think we’ve resolved the doubts we have over those.”

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The FIA is still considering whether or not it will investigate Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc for swearing in Mexico’s press conference, with a call expected on Friday.

In Sunday’s post-race press conference Leclerc used an expletive to describe his mindset as he went off the track at Mexico’s final corner, which allowed McLaren driver Lando Norris through to claim second.

“I had one oversteer and then when I recovered from that oversteer, I had an oversteer from the other side and then I was like, ‘fuck’,” he said, before realising he might get in trouble over his language given the FIA’s recent crackdown on swearing.

“Oh, sorry! Oh no, I don’t want to join Max,” Leclerc added, referring to Verstappen being handed a community service penalty for his own use of the word in Azerbaijan.

In Brazil, Verstappen suggested steward bias was behind the fact that he got penalised and Leclerc didn’t.

“Apparently it only counts for me anyway, because after the race in Mexico someone was swearing. I didn’t hear anything from it,” he said.

“It’s weird. Actually what he says is worse than what I said in the context, and it was a much more important press conference with more people watching.”

Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari, in the Press Conference

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

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But Motorsport.com has since learned the FIA is still set to make a call on Leclerc, having to wait until its stewards panel has travelled to Brazil so they can convene and look into the matter.

A decision on whether Leclerc will be investigated is expected on Friday.

After his swearing penalty Verstappen held a protest in the FIA’s official press conferences in Singapore, and his case led to unease among other drivers over how severely FIA president Mohamed Ben Sulayem was clamping down on swearing.

“This goes down to people’s personal opinions,” Mercedes man and driver association director George Russell said in Mexico. “I think for people where English isn’t their native language, they have different views on swearing. And even if you compare, the Brits to the Aussies, they say a specific C-word, which in some context is being polite to someone, whereas if you say that in the UK, that is massively frowned upon.

“So, it goes back to not having a set of regulations that are 100 pages long, saying ‘you’re allowed to say this, you can’t say that’.

“I think common sense needs to be applied, and if somebody does swear inappropriately, then maybe there should be the appropriate fine or whatever against that. A community service tends to be too much for the crime that was committed.”

Valencia will not hold the MotoGP season finale despite promotor Dorna’s initial plans to race there amid the tragic flooding in the region, Motorsport.com understands.

Dorna is looking for an alternative venue to host the race, probably at a later date than the scheduled 15-17 November weekend.

With the paddock set up at Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix, meetings are taking place between the parties involved in what is a very critical decision, given the sensitivity of the matter.

As early as Thursday, Dorna’s initial idea, coordinated with the FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme), was to try to keep the Valencia circuit as the chosen venue for the last grand prix of the season.

In the hours that followed, the possibility of moving the race a week later to Sunday 24th November briefly emerged as an option – one that was even communicated to several riders on the MotoGP grid.

However, Motorsport.com understands that by Friday afternoon there had been a considerable change in viewpoint among Dorna bosses, who began to consider Valencia unfeasible.

With that in mind, the Spanish company’s directors are already working to find an alternative to close the title fight between Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia, which could be resolved this Sunday in Malaysia – although only in favour of the Spaniard. Martin would have to score 21 points more than the Italian to settle the championship early.

Photo by: Paco Alcobendas

Pending the first official communication from the championship beyond that made by Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta on Thursday to AS newspaper – “In principle, the original date [of the event] is maintained,” he said on Thursday – the devastating news from Spain has made it impossible to hold the race in Valencia, where all planned sporting events have been cancelled this weekend.

The official death toll was 158 earlier on Friday, although forecasts point to a much higher figure given the number of people still missing.

In this context, in which up to 20 towns are without drinking water and the army is deployed in the area, Dorna’s directors have finally reached the conclusion that there seems to be no possible justification for organising a grand prix in Valencia.

There had already been very strong statements by riders such as Marc Marquez and Bagnaia, who on Friday insisted that he did not plan to travel to Valencia to race there, even if it would cost him the title.

“I hope they [at Dorna] take into consideration the fact that on an ethical level, with what is happening, it is not the right thing to do,” said the reigning champion. “Even at the cost of losing the ultimate goal for me, which is the title, I’m not willing to race in Valencia.”

Motorsport.com understands that four alternatives are now being considered for a replacement finale: Qatar, Jerez, Barcelona and Portimao.

In the event that the Losail circuit is chosen, Formula 1 will occupy the track the week of 25 November to 1 December which would lead MotoGP to look for a date that would probably be the Sunday before (24 November).

What does seem clear is that the closing race of the season will not be held on the scheduled date (15-17 November).

Carlos Sainz is adding a new role to his resume come the Las Vegas Grand Prix: party host. The Ferrari driver is set to throw his own glitzy bash for fans during the race weekend next month, affectionately named after him, called ‘Smooth Operator’. 

Fans will have the opportunity to celebrate Formula 1’s return to Sin City with the ‘Smooth Operator’ himself (he’s slated for a special appearance) at the 12-hour dance party November 22-23 at ALIBI Ultra Lounge in the ARIA Resort & Casino. Though, if you want to be “welcomed” by the Ferrari driver,  Sainz recommends keeping your phone and cameras in your pocket, after he shared with reporters Thursday that his post-Mexico celebrations at a club were a “bit annoying” with “15 cameras on you while just having a fun time.” 

Andrew Lanzino, who runs MGM Resorts’ citywide event strategy, said the entertainment giant partnered with Sainz in an effort to offer fans an experience “unlike any other race of the year.” He added, “We’re creating a variety of ways for [fans] to have the time of their lives.” 

Carlos Sainz will throw a party at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

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Aside from Sainz’s dance party — a first for drivers to actually host these types of affairs with the series — MGM Resorts’ 2024 programming includes the Shoey Bar at the Bellagio, inspired by Daniel Ricciardo. In its debut year, the bar was visited by the likes of Eva Longoria, Jeremy Renner and Mark Wahlberg, all of whom took part in the celebration popularized by the Australian. 

And although Ricciardo won’t be racing in Vegas, he will be well-represented in spirit as his Enchanté clothing brand is set to host a pop-up shop at The Cosmopolitan following the success of his event in Austin, Texas earlier this month. 

F1’s new global sponsor, LVMH, has also partnered with the casino giant to host a Dom Perignon Champagne Lounge in front of the Bellagio Fountains at Terrazza di Sogno. Elsewhere in the Bellagio, Ferrari will welcome fans into a pop-up boutique featuring luxury leather accessories, one-of-a-kind items and signed collectible pieces.