Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan is \u201cnot surprised\u201d that McLaren \u201crolled a hand grenade into the situation\u201d that was Max Verstappen\u2019s Brazil engine change.<\/p>\n
McLaren<\/a> team principal Andrea Stella queried how Verstappen\u2019s new engine would be represented in Red Bull\u2019s F1 cost cap compliance, though Monaghan does not anticipate any repercussions coming Red Bull\u2019s way. Indeed, the FIA has backed away from getting involved.<\/p>\n Red Bull comfortable with Max Verstappen engine change<\/p>\n Red Bull had opted to overhaul Verstappen\u2019s RB21 setup and fit a new Honda engine after his Q1 elimination in Brazil. That meant that Verstappen was required to start from the pit lane.<\/p>\n The results were emphatic as Verstappen raced to a podium finish, though Stella raised a question mark, claiming that \u201cthese kinds of power unit changes challenge the regulations\u201d.<\/p>\n Stella was referencing a distinction between engine changes for reliability versus performance reasons. This understanding influences how new engines are considered in relation to the cost cap, with reliability-driven changes not counting against a team\u2019s expenditure.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not surprised someone just sort of rolled a hand grenade into the situation,\u201d Monaghan, Red Bull\u2019s chief engineer, is widely reported as having said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the situation were round the other way we could do the same. What we did is defendable, it\u2019s legitimate, and if you go back through even this generation of car \u2013 from, say, 2022 to this year \u2013 people have made engine changes, so there\u2019s nothing unusual in it.<\/p>\n \u201cPersonally, it\u2019s a grey area. As far as I\u2019m concerned, we justified to ourselves what we were going to do. If we\u2019re questioned on it we will justify it.\u201d<\/p>\n Monaghan reiterated his belief that Red Bull could \u201cdefend\u201d its actions and so, \u201cthere will not be a penalty against us at the end of the year for it.\u201d<\/p>\n Monaghan added that \u201cthe advice\u201d which Red Bull received from Honda on the engine that was previously in Verstappen\u2019s car, was that \u201cif we are absolutely backed into a corner, it may well do a few more kilometres.\u201d<\/p>\n More on Red Bull and McLaren from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49 Brutal Norris \u2018doesn\u2019t know the rules\u2019 verdict in Verstappen \u2018game\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n