- Max Verstappen was penalised for his driving at the Mexican Grand Prix
- He is now set to be hit with a five-place penalty in Brazil this weekend
- Verstappen is currently 47 points clear of Lando Norris in the standings
Championship leader Max Verstappen will reportedly be handed a five-place grid penalty for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
It has been an eventful week for Verstappen after he was hit with a 20-second penalty during last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix following two separate incidents with his title rival Lando Norris.
Norris branded Verstappen’s tactics ‘dangerous’ as the pair almost made contact with each other, but both men were able to complete the race, with Norris finishing second and Verstappen down in sixth.
Now, Verstappen will be given a five-place penalty on Sunday as he requires a new engine, according to De Telegraaf.
Verstappen switched engines earlier this season in Belgium and was given a 10-place penalty on that occasion.
Max Verstappen is set to be handed a five-place grid penalty for this weekend’s race in Brazil
He was also penalised last week after nearly crashing into Lando Norris (back) in Mexico
As this is the second occasion it has happened this season, he will only be pushed down the grid by five places this time, and the penalty will not apply to the sprint race on Saturday.
Red Bull will hope Verstappen can make it through the rest of the season with no further engine issues as he looks to seal his fourth straight championship.
With four races remaining, Verstappen holds a 47-point lead over Norris, but his grid penalty boosts the Brit’s chances of clawing back some of that deficit this weekend.
Verstappen must also be careful to not wreck his title chances by crashing out of any races, having come perilously close to disaster in Mexico.
The Dutchman was compared to Wacky Races villain Dick Dastardly by former world champion Damon Hill, who was far from impressed with what he saw from the 27-year-old.
Former world champion Damon Hill (pictured) was very critical of Verstappen in Mexico, and compared him to Wacky Races villain Dick Dastardly
‘The area footage is very clear,’ Hill told Sky Sports. ‘He made no attempt to back off and make the corner and leave room for Lando. It was simply a case of you are not coming through.
‘The second move was just daft and Dick Dastardly stuff. He accelerated to the apex and drove Lando off the track and Lando didn’t have much option. That was silly driving.
‘Max let himself down there. He has such brilliance, and such competitive spirit, but I don’t think that was something to be proud of.
‘It is possible to race fairly, and that is something I am not sure Max is capable of. It is not in his repertoire, it is not in his philosophy. His philosophy is you are not coming past.’
