Max Verstappen may face a grid penalty for an engine change at this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, as Red Bull expresses concerns about his lack of straight-line speed. Verstappen struggled during the Mexico Grand Prix; his practice sessions on Friday were disrupted by engine issues, which led to an unexpected switch of power unit for the rest of the weekend. While using his backup engine prevented further mechanical failures, the high mileage resulted in decreased performance, affecting the three-time world champion during the race.

Speed trap data from the start/finish straight, before DRS activation, showed that Verstappen’s maximum speed was 251 km/h, which, in comparison, was much slower than his teammate Sergio Perez, who reached 253 km/h. Verstappen recorded the second-slowest speed at the first intermediate lap, clocking in at 299 km/h, while Perez reached 303 km/h and Lando Norris recorded 307 km/h.

With the RB20 already struggling to keep pace with Ferrari and McLaren, Red Bull realizes the need to install a new power unit to improve Verstappen's chances. The upcoming Interlagos circuit is a strategic choice for this, as it will allow for much easier overtaking. Although Verstappen's penalties for driving Norris off the track have dominated post-race discussions, Red Bull is more concerned about the lack of speed.

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko told the media, “The more pressing issue is that we couldn't get the tyres to perform well—both medium and hard. We were nowhere near the front two teams, and part of the problem stemmed from not being able to drive on Friday due to the engine issues. We have to take action, and it's clear that we need to change the engine since we were so slow on the straights.”

Marko also added that the engine Verstappen raced with in Mexico was only meant for practice sessions for the remainder of the season. “The engine we used was not intended for race conditions, and as an engine ages, its performance declines,” he explained. “The penalty would likely be five places, but that wouldn’t be overly detrimental in Brazil, where overtaking is relatively straightforward. However, we noticed we were lacking three to eight km/h on the straights.”

Currently, Verstappen holds a 47-point lead over Norris in the standings, and any engine penalty would apply only to the main Grand Prix, not the sprint race scheduled for Saturday in Brazil.