Max Verstappen will begin the Sao Paulo Grand Prix from the pit lane after Purple Bull opted to take a brand new energy unit and make adjustments to his automobile.
Purple Bull struggled in qualifying on Saturday with each Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda dropping out in Q1 on tempo, marking the primary time the group has had each vehicles fail to advance for the reason that 2006 Japanese Grand Prix. That adopted a change of flooring for Verstappen, who had run the most recent specification within the morning’s Dash after which reverted to the earlier specification for qualifying.
The group had initially been planning to attempt to make it to the tip of the season with out taking a brand new energy unit, however given an unique beginning place of sixteenth place, and the necessity to break parc ferme circumstances to make suspension setup adjustments, it has opted to take a brand new one forward of Sunday’s race.
The setup adjustments alone would mandate a pit lane begin, so the brand new energy unit is successfully a free change for Purple Bull, because it seems to provide Verstappen the most effective likelihood of remaining within the drivers’ championship battle with three additional rounds remaining after Interlagos. Heading into Sunday’s race, he’s at present 39 factors adrift of championship chief Lando Norris, who begins on pole place.
Verstappen has a complete new energy unit in his automobile, whereas Esteban Ocon has additionally taken a brand new inner combustion engine (ICE) after he certified seventeenth, which means he may also begin from the pit lane.
