Helmut Marko has confirmed that Max Verstappen will be taking a fresh power unit for the Brazilian GP, triggering an inevitable grid penalty that’s set to shake up his race weekend.

The whispers circling the paddock have crystallized into hard truth: Verstappen will be facing a steep grid drop at Interlagos as Red Bull swaps out his worn Honda power unit for a new one, which exceeds his annual allocation. This latest power unit, while vital, comes at the cost of a spot towards the back.

Verstappen’s aspirations of a prime return to form in São Paulo have been tempered by this penalty, especially after last weekend’s performance struggles in Mexico City. Those issues stemmed from cumulative engine complications on Friday, which, according to Marko, set off a domino effect across Verstappen’s entire weekend.

The problem started with an intake leak that derailed his Friday sessions, forcing Verstappen to sit out both practice runs. “That lack of drive time,” Marko admitted, “is partly why we weren’t competitive, especially on the hard tyres. We ended up with the fifth-fastest car, behind both Ferraris and the McLaren. On the medium Pirelli, we were somewhat competitive, but with both compounds, our tyre degradation was notably higher than our rivals.”

To add to their woes, Red Bull had to fit an older power unit, one already reaching its cycle’s end and never intended for racing in such conditions. The mileage showed; Verstappen was one of the slowest on the straights, a noticeable handicap in a high-speed sport. When an F1 engine reaches a certain distance, typically around 7,000 kilometers, the power loss is hard to ignore.

Red Bull’s team is now investigating whether the faulty unit with the intake leak can be salvaged, though its mileage nearly rules out future use. For now, there’s no escaping a fresh unit swap in Brazil and, with it, the penalty that could make his race at Interlagos a far tougher fight.