Lewis Hamilton to start Sao Paulo Grand Prix from the back after full power unit replacement

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Lewis Hamilton is set to start the Sao Paulo Grand Prix from the back of the grid after Ferrari replaced the entire power unit on his car following problems during Free Practice 3. Ferrari’s decision follows the disruption Hamilton experienced after reporting vibrations on his engine earlier in the session.

During FP3 on Saturday, Hamilton returned to the pit lane for checks after the vibrations were reported. He then rejoined the circuit during the final hour of practice, but the issue escalated as he suffered a loss of power and smoke in the cockpit, before eventually returning to the garage and ending his session while Ferrari investigated the cause.

Ahead of qualifying later on Saturday, Ferrari confirmed that Hamilton would still take part in the session. In a team statement, Ferrari said: “Following today’s FP3 session, the power unit fitted to car #44 was removed for further checks.” After completing its analysis, Ferrari added that it had “decided to replace the entire power unit.” The statement concluded that while Hamilton will participate in qualifying, he will “have to start tomorrow’s race from the back of the grid.”

Hamilton had been scheduled to receive a 10-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race at Autódromo José Carlos Pace after an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) change, a penalty that had been set to apply alongside his team mate Charles Leclerc. However, the full power unit replacement triggered the back-of-the-grid start described by Ferrari today.

The back-of-the-grid start will also apply to Max Verstappen. Formula 1 indicates Verstappen will be joined there after Red Bull changed various elements of his power unit ahead of FP3, meaning both drivers will line up behind the rest of the field when the race begins on Sunday.

With Hamilton’s start position confirmed following the power unit swap, the next key competitive focus is how the back-of-the-grid penalty reshapes the Saturday qualifying order and Sunday’s race strategy for Ferrari as it manages Hamilton’s climb through the field.