Engine change could determine title fight between Verstappen and McLaren

Nov 6, 2025 | Formula 1

Everything hangs by a thread in Brazil

The championship is not yet decided. Max Verstappen is 36 points off Lando Norris. There are 33 points to be earned in Brazil this weekend, including the sprint. That makes the situation prone to a big swing.

The chances of Verstappen scoring maximum and Norris grabbing nothing are slim. Still, such a scenario is not impossible. Less than a fortnight ago, Verstappen took advantage of a sprint weekend in the United States when the two McLarens eliminated each other on Saturday. As a result, he gained considerably on Oscar Piastri.

Motors and penalty rules: how it works

Engine rules play a role again. Since the homologation freeze, engines seem to differ less. Nevertheless, they still count. Teams are only allowed to use a limited number of parts. For the most important parts, the limit has been reached among the frontrunners.

Key components

• V6 engine
• MGU-H
• Turbo
• MGU-K
• Control electronics
• Battery

If a driver uses one extra part, a grid penalty of 10 places usually follows. For more than 15-place penalties, you will start from the back of the field. That penalty applies to the main race, not just the sprint.

What this means for Verstappen and McLaren

All three title contenders have already used the maximum of free parts. That makes the final races extra exciting. An engine change could change everything.

Verstappen had a similar penalty in Brazil last year. He started at the back, but then took an impressive win in the rain. Back then, the penalty made little difference. Now such a deficit would weigh much more heavily in the title race.

The same risk applies to McLaren. Lando Norris suffered engine problems a few races ago and had to retire at Zandvoort. An oil pipe problem caused the system to shut down the engine to prevent greater damage. Mercedes and McLaren investigated the matter thoroughly. For now, they are calm and are not planning an additional engine change.

Internal pressure at McLaren

The two McLaren drivers are close. They are just one point apart. That leads to a lot of attention and also questions about equality within the team. A technical setback would not only affect the title race. It could also fuel speculation about team relations.

Qualifying has been extra important this year. In 14 of the 20 races, the McLaren driver who started at the front also finished ahead of his teammate. A grid penalty changes that dynamic immediately.

Historical perspective and reliability

Engines used to determine the difference much more often. In the turbo-hybrid era, engines could give big gains or losses. Since the homologation freeze, performance has become more even. Still, there are differences in reliability and longevity.

Honda built a very robust engine by the time Verstappen took his first world title. As a result, there was little concern about power degradation over its lifetime. Mercedes recognised in the past that their engine lost power after many miles. Therefore, they took measures at the time to avoid ending up without power in key moments of a season.

Whether those problems have been completely resolved is hard to say. For now, Mercedes has been very successful as a supplier for McLaren, with titles in 2024 and 2025 for the constructor team. But now that a customer team is in the driver's race, engine issues may become relevant again.

Conclusion: small cause, big impact

The title race could be tilted by one engine change. The difference is small. That makes the remaining four races extra exciting. Both camps will do everything to perform perfectly. But a grid penalty or an unexpected engine stop could still turn the outcome upside down.

Briatore: Alpine gambles on Mercedes engine and recovery

Nov 6, 2025 | Formula 1

Alpine is at a low point

A year after that surprising double podium in Brazil, Alpine is at the bottom of the constructors' standings this season. The team has barely made in-season upgrades. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto sigh under a car that is slowly sinking further.

The situation is painful. In the past, the team sometimes finished low in a season, but never so bottom. In fact, Flavio Briatore, executive adviser and de facto final boss, calls the current state of affairs ’torture’.

Why did Alpine stop development?

Alpine decided to stop development of the A525 early this year. They did so to put all their resources on the 2026 car. Next year, the team will switch to Mercedes engines and they want to get off to a flying start with that.

The idea is simple: bet all or nothing on 2026 and get a head start if possible. It is a risk. Other teams continued to upgrade this year and managed to allocate resources better. As a result, Alpine is now at the back.

Briatore's consideration

Briatore says Alpine did not have the capacity to do two projects at once. Improvements to the A525, he says, would have yielded spots eight or nine in the constructors' race at most. That is why the team opted to gamble on 2026.

Deeper causes

For Briatore, the problem lies deeper than the choice to pause this year. He points to years of leadership changes and the fact that the team was too often managed from afar. According to him, a Formula 1 team should be led hands-on from Enstone, not remotely.

A big factor, according to Briatore, is the engine issue. In the hybrid era, Renault has not been able to keep pace with Mercedes, Honda and Ferrari. That lack of investment, he said, stemmed from the early 2010s, when Renault, led by Carlos Ghosn, made choices that did not give enough priority to the F1 engine.

Briatore stresses that he does not blame the people at Viry-Chatillon. He says the engineers made the best of it with the resources they were given. But without sufficient resources, it is difficult to compete at the top.

Specifically, what changed?

• Alpine stopped early with parts and upgrades for 2025.
• The team concentrated capacity on the 2026 car and the new engine relationship with Mercedes.
• Prolonged management changes and remote control weakened the organisation.
• Decisions from the early hybrid period led to structurally less powerful engine development.

Future expectations and ambition

Briatore is hopeful about 2026. With a Mercedes engine, Alpine wants to return to the top six on the grid. That seems more realistic than competing for the championship right away, but it would already change a lot. From a sixth or seventh starting spot, you can smell a podium quicker than from midfield positions.

He acknowledges that it is a big challenge. But Briatore thrives on this kind of task. He points to previous successes where he surprised skeptics. His approach is clear: invest in the right places and manage the team from Enstone.

Final look

In short: Alpine paid the price this season for a strategic choice and for past mistakes. The switch to Mercedes engines and a focused 2026 programme should bring recovery. Whether that strategy works will be judged next year. Until then, fans and staff will continue to struggle on.

Button closes his racing career with dignified finale

Nov 5, 2025 | Formula 1

A fitting end in Bahrain

On Saturday, Jenson Button will drive his last professional race: the Bahrain 8 Hours in the World Endurance Championship. This marks the end of one of the most remarkable careers in modern motorsport. Button is 45 and will retire from the professional circuit after this race.

What he achieved in Formula 1

Button was active in Formula 1 between 2000 and 2017. He started 306 grands prix. He took 15 wins and 50 podiums. He achieved eight poles. In 2009, he captured the world championship with Brawn GP, a season that is still considered a great underdog story. His last full F1 season was 2016. His last start in the king class was in Monaco 2017 as Fernando Alonso's replacement.

The search after F1

Button did not stop racing when Formula 1's door closed. He sought new challenges and soon found them in Japan. In 2018, he temporarily moved east and raced in Super GT. Together with Naoki Yamamoto, he immediately won the championship with Team Kunimitsu and the Honda NSX-GT500. In doing so, he became the first former F1 world champion to win Super GT.

The constant travelling between Japan and Europe eventually became too much. He ended that adventure at the end of 2019. After that, he tried many different disciplines. For instance, he competed in Baja events, made a guest appearance in British GT, started in Extreme E and Nitro Rallycross, and made three starts in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023. This broad exploration shows his curiosity and adaptability.

How he came to endurance

Slowly, Button found his way into endurance racing. His first serious experience was in 2018 in LMP1 with SMP Racing. With teammates, he achieved a podium in Shanghai. Later, he drove the Garage 56 project car at Le Mans: a NASCAR Camaro ZL1 at Hendrick Motorsports, shared with Mike Rockenfeller and Jimmie Johnson. Those appearances were instructive, but not enough. Button wanted to drive a full programme.

In 2024, he got that chance. After finishing fifth at Petit Le Mans and third in the Daytona 24 Hours, he stepped in as a full-time WEC driver with Team Jota.

Team Jota: the final challenge

Team Jota is a British team with a personal link for Button. The #38 Porsche 963 started in 2024 as a customer team and had limited testing opportunities. Button shared the car with Oliver Rasmussen and Phil Hanson. At first, the transition was tough. He missed the intensity of a full season and had to get used to the off-track work: data analysis, debriefs and set-up work.

Gradually, he found his rhythm. His smooth driving style suited the endurance cars well. Two standout performances were at Le Mans and at Fuji, even if those races did not yield podium results. Things changed in 2025 when Jota was given factory team status with Cadillac and the V-Series.R. With teammates Sébastien Bourdais and Earl Bamber, Button showed strong performances, including a second-place finish in São Paulo.

His role went beyond just driving. Button brought experience, technical feedback and calm to the team dynamic. That contributed to two wins for Jota in the past two seasons and to the title fight still open in Bahrain.

What Button does after this season

The reason for quitting is clear: family and time. Button lives with young children. He wants to spend less time travelling for weeks at a time. He does not think it is fair to promise a new year if he cannot spare enough time. He does remain active at classic events, such as Goodwood, purely for the love of the sport. But his professional racing career is over.

Who can replace him?

Finding a successor is not easy. The Hypercar class is full of factory drivers. Names that have passed include Mick Schumacher and Callum Ilott, but those options fell off for various reasons or are unclear. The favourite for the #38 seems to be Jack Aitken. He already drives the V-Series.R in IMSA and has a strong relationship with Earl Bamber. Aitken won the last two rounds of the 2025 IMSA season, including Petit Le Mans, and set a fastest time in Hyperpole at Le Mans.

There is a practical problem though: on 19-20 April 2026, Long Beach (IMSA) and Imola (WEC) are scheduled at the same time. Aitken would prioritise Long Beach. If he drives in the United States, a replacement for Imola is in the offing, with Fred Vesti a possible candidate.

Key facts at a glance

• F1 figures: 306 starts, 15 wins, 50 podiums, 2009 world champion.
• Super GT champion in 2018 with Team Kunimitsu.
• Endurance achievements: podiums in WEC and Daytona, Garage 56 at Le Mans.
• Last team: Jota, from 2024, from 2025 as Cadillac work team.
• Reason for stopping: more time for family and less travelling.

Final conclusion: Button is leaving professional racing on his own terms. He is going not because he has to, but because he wants to. His legacy is multi-faceted: a Formula One title, success in Japan, and valuable contributions to endurance racing. An emotional farewell awaits in Bahrain, but his influence on the sport remains visible.