F1 Today | Stella's Red Bull cost cap question answered as Brundle in awe of Verstappen's Brazil GP masterclass
Photo: RacePictures.
A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
And so we come to the close of another speedy F1 news day. In GPblog's round-up you can have a look at the two best stories of 11 November, 2025.
Stella’s Red Bull question answered
Following the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella questioned whether the new power unit fitted into Max Verstappen's RB21 at Red Bull was accounted for under Formula 1's cost cap regulations.
Red Bull had taken the car out of Parc Fermé after a poor qualifying session, fitting a fresh engine that forced Verstappen to start from the pit lane. The new unit proved effective, helping the Dutchman climb to third place.
Stella pointed out that if the change had been made for performance rather than reliability reasons, it should fall within the cost cap, though he noted that such details remain on Red Bull’s side.
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GPblog later confirmed that the costs of Red Bull's extra power unit were indeed included in the budget cap.
Brundle: Verstappen's drive 'a race for the history books'
In his Sky Sports column, Martin Brundle described Max Verstappen’s drive from the pit lane to third place at the Brazilian Grand Prix as one of the finest of his career.
He explained that Red Bull chose to alter the car’s setup and fit a new power unit after a difficult qualifying, a decision that transformed Verstappen’s race. The Dutchman avoided the first-lap incidents involving Sainz, Hamilton, Stroll, and Bortoleto, capitalised on the early Safety Car, and recovered even after suffering a puncture.
Once back on track with fresh tyres, Verstappen’s pace was relentless. Brundle wrote that he was clinical in overtaking and made his way through the field with remarkable speed.
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According to the former F1 driver, the result was not down to luck or weather but purely to Verstappen’s talent and racecraft, calling it "a race for the history books" achieved through sheer performance in one of Formula 1’s most competitive grids.
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