McLaren cries foul after São Paulo pit-lane power-unit gamble
Max Verstappen’s shock Q1 exit at Interlagos left Red Bull with nothing to lose. The team broke parc-fermé, sent the Dutchman to the back of the grid—and bolted in a brand-new Honda power unit that was outside his 2025 component allocation. The gamble paid off with a podium that keeps the title fight alive, but McLaren immediately questioned whether the move skirts Formula 1’s cost-cap rules.
“If the engine was changed for performance reasons, the cost should fall under the cap,” McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said after the race.
Red Bull: “We can defend what we did”
Speaking in Las Vegas, Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan welcomed the scrutiny—then dismissed it.
“I’m not surprised someone rolled a hand-grenade into the situation. Fine. What we did is legitimate and defensible,”
he told reporters, adding that the removed PU remains serviceable and that similar swaps have occurred “from ’22 to this year” without sanction.
Advisor Helmut Marko was blunter:
“No worries, we are absolutely within the regulations. It’s not a grey area.”
FIA admits “weakness” in current financial regulations
Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s single-seater director, conceded that the governing body has no mechanism to police whether an extra power unit is fitted for reliability or performance.
“We have adopted an approach where we accept these changes without getting into discussion about the impact on the cost cap. This has been a weakness,” he said.
The only cost-cap reference to spare PUs applies when units are replaced “due to accident damage or other cause induced by team”—language that does not cover strategic changes.
Works-team advantage under fire
McLaren technical director Neil Houldey pointed out that customer outfits pay Mercedes per extra unit, while works partners such as Red Bull and Honda operate under a different, non-itemised financial structure.
“We cannot take a performance engine change because we are not a works team whose PU supplier is happy to supply those engines free of charge,” Houldey noted, predicting the 2026 PU cost cap will level the field.
2026 regs to close the loophole
From 2026, power-unit manufacturers will face their own cost cap. Every additional engine will cost suppliers roughly USD 1 million, removing any incentive for strategic swaps.
“That will provide a natural mechanism,” Tombazis said.
No immediate investigation expected
Although McLaren raised the matter at the final 2025 F1 Commission meeting, the issue was discussed only under “any other business.” With cost-cap audits typically concluding mid-way through the following season, any ruling on the Brazil change is unlikely before mid-2026—by which time the new regulations will already be in force.
Bottom line
Red Bull is confident its São Paulo engine change will survive any future audit, citing precedent and the absence of an explicit prohibition. McLaren has successfully highlighted a structural advantage enjoyed by manufacturer teams, but the FIA acknowledges the rules will not be tightened until 2026. Until then, strategic power-unit gambits remain fair game—provided the paperwork is in order.
Sources
- Motorsport.com (FR) – “Red Bull répond à la ‘grenade dégoupillée’ de McLaren sur son nouveau moteur” – 21 Nov 2025
- Motorsport.com – “Red Bull defends ‘legitimate’ engine swap after McLaren’s cost-cap hand grenade” – 21 Nov 2025
- PlanetF1 – “FIA admits ‘weakness’ exposed after McLaren query Max Verstappen Brazil engine change” – 21 Nov 2025
- F1i.com – “Red Bull hits back at McLaren over Verstappen engine questions” – 20 Nov 2025
- Crash.net – “Red Bull hit back at McLaren’s concerns over Max Verstappen’s Brazil engine change” – 20 Nov 2025
- RacingNews365 – “Red Bull launch ‘hand grenade’ defence after McLaren FIA inquiry” – 20 Nov 2025
- The Race – “FIA admits to ‘weakness’ in F1 cost-cap rules that Red Bull exploited” – 20 Nov 2025
- Reuters – “Formula One 2026 rules will resolve cost-cap engine loophole, says FIA” – 21 Nov 2025
- Grand Prix 247 – “FIA: 2026 Formula 1 rules will resolve cost-cap engine loophole” – 20 Nov 2025
- Formula1.com – “Verstappen set to start Sao Paulo GP from pit lane after power-unit change” – 8 Nov 2025