McLaren boss Andrea Stella has called for clarity on Formula 1‘s cost cap after Red Bull changed the power unit on Max Verstappen’s car prior to the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The Milton Keynes-based squad went for broke at Interlagos, opting to change Verstappen’s engine after only mustering 16th in qualifying, condemning him to a pit lane start.
In addition, it opted to make additional revisions, including fitting the Mexico-spec floor, as opposed to the Austin iteration that it had been using over the weekend.
It worked a treat as Verstappen, despite picking up an early puncture, swept through the field to finish third, earning himself the Driver of the Day accolade.
But the decision has appeared to have caused a semblance of fallout and intrigue within the McLaren camp, with Stella placing a huge question mark over its bearing on the cost cap.
“To be honest, these kind of power unit changes, they challenge the regulations,” the Italian told media including Motorsport Week.
“I will be interested in understanding if the cost of this engine now goes in the cost cap or not.
“If the engine was changed for performance reasons, it should go in the cost cap. So let’s see if this is the case, not that I will be able to see, as 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.”
‘Small gaps’ the deciding factor in Red Bull engine change
Red Bull’s decision was a calculated gamble which paid off, giving it a chance to make the extra changes that were perhaps the biggest enabler of Verstappen’s comeback.
After the race, Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies explained that the team was on course to not require one single change all season, but felt the gamble was worth it.
“It’s always good to fit a new engine,” he said to media including Motorsport Week.
“It’s fair to say that in the last part of the season, we were on schedule to finish the year without needing the change.
“We just felt that we would take the opportunity mainly because we wanted to change the car again.
“It’s difficult to give you a number [of the laptime benefit], but the gaps are small enough for everything to be important.”
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