Engine meltdown forces Hamilton to the back of the grid

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Lewis Hamilton faces an uphill battle at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace after Ferrari confirmed the seven-time world champion will start Sunday’s São Paulo Grand Prix from the back of the grid.

What was already set to be a challenging weekend quickly spiraled into a nightmare during Saturday’s final practice session.

Hamilton was initially set for a 10-place grid drop after Ferrari fitted his SF-26 with a fifth internal combustion engine (ICE) of the season, exceeding his allotted engine quota for the first time this year.

However, GP3 took a turn for the worse for the Briton. Early in the session, he reported troubling issues over the team radio, complaining of unusual vibrations originating from the fresh engine alongside abnormally strong engine braking.

Restricted to running on the medium-compound tyres, Hamilton struggled to get into a rhythm and sat eighth on the timing sheets before his session was prematurely cut short.

Moments later, smoke began billowing from the rear of the Ferrari, forcing Hamilton to dive into the pit lane for good. The early garage return meant he failed to record a single lap on the faster soft-compound rubber ahead of qualifying.

A trip to the back of the grid

Following a hasty post-session evaluation, Ferrari determined the unit could not continue and made the call to replace the entire powertrain.

"Following today's FP3 session, the power unit fitted to car #44 was removed for further checks," Ferrari confirmed in an official statement.

"After completing our analysis, we have decided to replace the entire power unit. Lewis will take part in Qualifying but will have to start tomorrow's race from the back of the grid."

The wholesale component swap triggers additional grid penalties, automatically sending Hamilton to the tail end of the field regardless of where he finishes in Saturday's qualifying session.

Interlagos has historically been the backdrop for some of Hamilton's most remarkable recovery drives, but starting from the absolute rear puts immense pressure on both driver and strategy as Scuderia Ferrari works to salvage points from a fraught weekend.

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Michael Delaney