Speaking to a betting site, the former British driver claimed he had heard that Mercedes ran into issues during initial installations of the power unit in the car, with the engine reportedly failing to start.

Herbert’s comments come at a time when the Brackley team’s power unit is already under intense scrutiny, following the alleged compression trick that surfaced in recent weeks, with a meeting between the FIA and the teams scheduled for January 22.

An FIA spokesperson told GPblog that this is a 'customary meeting', one that takes place ahead of every regulatory change, with the 2026 cars set to make their official on-track debut on January 26 in Barcelona, the first of three tests leading up to the season-opening race in Australia.

Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius and Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff have formally approached the organizers of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) in a bid to have an endurance race rescheduled, allowing Max Verstappen to take part.

The German manufacturer is actively backing Verstappen’s request, pushing for the NLS season opener on March 14 to be moved, as it currently clashes with the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix.