FIA outlines why Verstappen's engine swap carried no consequences

10:19, 21 Nov

Updated: 11:10, 21 Nov

byTobia Elia

FIA Single-Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis was keen to outline the FIA’s perspective regarding the engine change on Max Verstappen’s RB21 in Brazil.

"We don't feel we have the expertise to argue with them whether it's really a reliability or strategic change"

- Nikolas Tombazis

Following his Q1 exit in Brazil, Red Bull opted to replace the Dutchman’s car with a new power unit to unlock extra performance ahead of the race.

McLaren’s team principal had raised the question of whether the cost of changing a power unit for performance rather than reliability reasons would fall under the budget cap — something GPBlog has been able to confirm it does.

Asked about the matter in Las Vegas, Tombazis took the opportunity to clarify the FIA’s position: "What we've not been keen to get involved in, as the FIA at the moment, is a situation where when there's an engine change, we have to argue with the team or the PU manufacturer whether a bit of telemetry indicates potentially a reliability issue or not."

Max Verstappen Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

Tombazis further stressed that, as things stand now, the FIA don't feel "we have the expertise to argue with them whether it's really a reliability or strategic change."

"In some cases it's obviously in one or the other camp. But when you're in that crossover area, it would be difficult. 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've adopted this approach where we accept these changes without getting into discussion about the impact on the cost cap."

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The Greek engineer admitted that this aspect represents a weakness in the current regulations, but said it will be addressed next season, leaving fewer grey areas open to interpretation.

"It has been one of the areas where next year, with the cost cap for the PU manufacturers as well as the teams, this matter is resolved, because the PU manufacturers would never find it convenient to make a strategic change, because each time it's going to cost them approximately the cost of an engine — a million, if it's just the internal combustion or whatever.

He finally added: "That will provide a natural mechanism. So we think it's a weakness in the current set of regulations, where there's no PU cost cap, but we think it gets resolved completely next year. It will stop being a topic of discussion."

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