McLaren questions cost cap impact of Red Bull’s engine change

Max Verstappen’s remarkable charge from the pit lane to a podium finish at the São Paulo Grand Prix has sparked some intrigue from McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.

Red Bull’s decision to fit a new power unit to Verstappen’s car ahead of the race, following a disastrous Q1 exit in qualifying, paid off handsomely, with the Dytchman navigating early chaos – including a puncture in the opening laps – to secure a sensational third place finish that has kept his championship hopes alive.

But not everyone in the paddock was convinced the move fit the spirit – or the financial logic – of Formula 1’s cost-conscious era.

Strategic Gain or Regulatory Gray Area?

Stella was among those curious about the rationale behind Red Bull’s engine change – and its potential implications under F1’s $135 million cost cap.

“In terms of performance, I think introducing a new engine nowadays, I don't know how this works for Honda, but in general, these engines, they don't exhibit much degradation with mileage,” the McLaren chief explained after the race.

He went on to question the competitive benefit of taking such a drastic step in modern Formula 1.

“So that's why, in general, you wouldn't change an engine and accept a penalty or a loss of positions, because normally, the performance you get back doesn't really compensate for the positional losses.”

But Stella’s real concern lay elsewhere – in the financial gray zone of how such a switch is accounted for.

“Like I say, I'm not sure how the power degradation works for Honda,” he continued. “To be honest, this kind of power unit changes, they also challenge the regulations, because I will be interested in understanding if the cost of this engine now goes in the cost cap or not.”

A No-Go for McLaren

The McLaren boss said that for his team, an engine change made purely for performance reasons would be unthinkable under the sport’s tight spending rules.

“If the engine was changed for performance reasons it should go in the cost cap. So let's see if this is the case or not,” he said.

“Not that I will be able to see, it's all on the Red Bull side, but this is also one reason why we wouldn't do it, because it would end up in the cost cap.”

• Read also: Red Bull justify decision to pit Verstappen from São Paulo GP lead

While Stella acknowledged that the specifics of Red Bull’s decision remain opaque, his remarks have ignited a conversation about transparency and fairness in Formula 1’s cost cap era.

The FIA, which oversees compliance, will likely face pressure to clarify whether Red Bull’s engine change was a routine replacement or a performance-driven move subject to cost cap scrutiny.

Either way, Verstappen’s podium ensured one thing: Red Bull’s move worked on the track. Now, the question Stella raised is whether it also works on the balance sheet.

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