Verstappen expects tough Brazil recovery after engine penalty

Max Verstappen is due to start the Brazilian Grand Prix from 21st after an engine-change penalty, unless his team opts for a pit-lane start. He expects the new cars to make overtaking difficult.

He won the rain-soaked 2024 race from 17th, then climbed from the pit lane to third on a dry track in 2025.

Speaking to Dutch media, including RacingNews365, Verstappen said everyone has their wings open on the straights and uses the battery in much the same way, leaving little overspeed. He compared the situation with Mexico and said DRS used to make a five-tenths-of-a-second difference.

Rain is forecast, but Verstappen does not expect it to help. A dry race would already be difficult, he said; in the wet, visibility could be the biggest obstacle.