Lewis Hamilton gets 5-place grid penalty for new engine in Brazil

File image of Lewis Hamilton. (Source: Twitter)

Sao Paulo: Lewis Hamilton was given a five-place grid penalty Friday for this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix after his team decided to give him a new engine.

It's the second time the Mercedes driver has exceeded the limit of three engines for the season.

Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One champion, trails Red Bull rival Max Verstappen by 19 points heading into Sunday's race in Brazil.

The decision by Mercedes to change the internal combustion engine will not affect Hamilton's starting position in Saturday's qualifying sprint race at Interlagos.

Hamilton took a 10-place grid penalty for a new engine in Turkey. Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas has faced similar problems, which has raised questions about the engine's reliability.

The Brazilian GP will be the third event of the season with a qualifying sprint race on Saturday. Friday's training session will have the traditional qualifying format to set positions for the sprint race, which will determine Sunday's grid.

The two previous sprint races were held in Silverstone and Monza.