McLaren unhappy with Verstappen's engine change

Red Bull breached parc ferme rules by making aerodynamic adjustments to Max Verstappen's car ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, forcing Verstappen to start the race from the pit lane.

However, the team didn't stop there and also changed the power unit. At this point, McLaren requested an explanation from the FIA.

Power units are extremely expensive in Formula 1. Teams have agreed that if engines are changed solely due to reliability issues, this cost will not count towards their budget cap.

This way, as the season draws to a close, teams that have run out of budgets and engine rights can continue racing with the same units.

However, changing an engine solely for performance reasons is included in the budget cap, which is intended to prevent teams from gaining an advantage by using a new engine for every race.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said Red Bull's decision should be evaluated within the framework of these regulations: "To be honest, these kinds of engine changes are a stretch of the rules. I'd like to know what the FIA ​​thinks about this. If the engine is changed purely for performance reasons, the cost should be included in the budget. That's why we don't change engines unless they break down: we have to stay within the budget."

Red Bull, however, did not hide that the engine change was a conscious performance decision.

Team principal Laurent Mekies said: "Installing a new engine is always a good opportunity. We could have finished the season with the current engines, but we wanted to take advantage of the extra power this weekend. It's hard to say how much this has saved us, but with the gaps between the teams being so small, every detail counts."

How the FIA ​​will respond and whether Red Bull's move violates budget limits will become clear in the coming days.