George Russell will start Sunday's F1 São Paulo Grand Prix five places lower than he qualifies, after Mercedes fitted a new engine to his car at Interlagos.
The penalty is for his sixth internal combustion engine of the season, more than the rules allow each driver without a grid drop.
A planned penalty
Russell had already gone past his engine allowance after a run of power unit problems earlier in the year. Mercedes knew he would need another engine before the season ended and chose Interlagos as the place to take it.
The penalty does not affect the title. Russell's team-mate Kimi Antonelli is already champion, after sealing the crown in Mexico last weekend.
Mercedes also leads the constructors' championship by 126 points, 630 to Ferrari's 504, so a lost grid slot matters less to the team than it would in a closer fight.
Pace to recover
Russell showed on Friday that he has the speed to climb back through the field. He was fourth in second practice, 0.273s behind Antonelli's fastest lap of 1m10.763s.
Interlagos has a history of recovery drives. In 2021 Lewis Hamilton took a five-place penalty for a new engine at the same race, started 10th and won.
The fight for second
Russell is fourth in the drivers' championship with 250 points. Max Verstappen is second on 261 and Hamilton third on 259, with Charles Leclerc fifth on 245.
Qualifying starts at 11:30pm India time on Saturday 7 November. The race starts at 10:30pm India time on Sunday 8 November.
Race it on Late Brake
Interlagos is one of the six real circuits in Late Brake, the free browser game. Take on the AI rivals there and use the braking boards to time your moves into the Senna S.
Sources: Autosport, The Race, Motorsport.com, Autosport (second practice), Formula 1 drivers' standings, Formula 1 constructors' standings, Wikipedia: 2021 São Paulo Grand Prix