Explained: Why McLaren has launched a query on Max Verstappen's 5th power unit falling within the cost cap

McLaren Racing has lodged a query with the FIA over Max Verstappen’s 5th power unit, which Red Bull fitted at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Laurent Mekies suggested the change was made purely for a performance gain, while Andrea Stella argued that if that is the case, the upgrade could fall under cost-cap scrutiny.

After a poor qualifying, Red Bull opted to fit a new power unit on Max Verstappen's car at the Brazilian GP. This meant he started from the pit lane but was able to storm through the field and finish third.

This did not sit well with McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, who, after the race at Interlagos, questioned if the costs relating to this new engine would count towards the Austrian team's compliance with the 2025 cost cap.

"This kind of power unit changes, they also challenge the regulations and I will be interested in understanding if the cost of this engine now goes in the cost cap or not," Stella had said after the Brazilian GP [via Motorsport.com] "If the engine was changed for performance reasons, it should go in the cost cap," he added.

Under F1’s financial rules, teams can exclude up to $17 million for the standard power unit supply. Costs exceeding the allowance, including additional components, may incur extra charges.

Because the regulations do not clearly exempt those extra expenses, Red Bull’s decision to replace Max Verstappen’s entire power unit in Brazil could affect its yearly budget. But, the regulations are quite vague, with power units needing to be included within the cost cap only when "out of service due to accident damage or other cause induced by team".

This uncertainty is why McLaren is seeking clarity from the FIA. Stella also admitted that the team has avoided fitting new power units in the cars of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri because they believe such a move would count toward the cap.

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FIA admits to 'weakness' in cost cap rules linked to Max Verstappen’s power unit change

Max Verstappen and Laurent Mekies at the Las Vegas Grand Prix - Source: Getty

The FIA's single-seater director, Nikolas Tombazis, has acknowledged a weakness in the current F1 cost cap that Red Bull exploited when fitting a new power unit to Max Verstappen's car in Brazil.

Speaking ahead of the Las Vegas GP, Tombazis conceded that the FIA often cannot challenge teams on whether an engine change is truly for reliability or strategy, saying they lack the expertise to dispute such decisions when situations fall into a grey area. He also added [via The Race]:

"So this has been a weakness in the current regulations, the combination of financial plus technical and sporting, and it's been an area where we have adopted this approach where we accept these changes without getting into discussion about the impact on the cost cap."

Tombazis then added that this weakness is likely to be addressed in the new regulations, which are set to begin in 2026, and include a reliability allowance that engine manufacturers can adjust. He claimed that similar issues should not arise once next year's regulations take effect.

Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar