NOVEMBER 11, 2025

McLaren questions Red Bull's engine tactic in Brazil

McLaren has questioned whether Red Bull breached the spirit of Formula 1's cost cap rules by fitting Max Verstappen with a brand-new engine before Sunday's Brazilian GP.

After a disastrous qualifying session, Red Bull changed Verstappen's suspension setup - triggering a pitlane start - and took the opportunity to install a fresh Honda power unit consisting of a new combustion engine, turbo, MGU-K, MGU-H, battery, and control electronics.

It was a move that surprised rivals - especially McLaren, with Verstappen still trying to chase down Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris with three races left to run after Brazil.

Frankly, these kinds of powertrain replacements defy the rules, said McLaren team boss Andrea Stella. "I'm curious to know if the cost of this engine is within the budget constraints.

If it was replaced for performance reasons, that should be factored into the cost calculations.

Under F1's financial regulations, engines replaced due to reliability issues are exempt from the budget cap - but voluntary changes purely for performance are not. That's one of the reasons we don't replace engines unless they break down, Stella added. We have to meet the cost cap.

Curiously, Red Bull made no secret that the decision was a strategic one. It's always nice to have a new engine, team principal Laurent Mekies told reporters prior to Stella's comments.

We could have finished the year without any changes, but we decided to take advantage of that opportunity. The gaps between the teams are minimal, so every factor matters.

Dutch commentator Jeroen Bleekemolen told NOS that the benefit was significant. If you can use a fresh engine, that's a huge advantage, especially this late in the season, he said.

At the end of the year many drivers are without fresh engines, so if you can swap, you have a big edge.

(GMM)