Red Bull have started scrutinising rival Formula 1 cars even before the 2025 season is under way. Christian Horner’s team are ready to pursue any possible advantage in their battle with McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes.
Last season, eventual champions McLaren were the focus of Red Bull’s ire. The Milton Keynes outfit established a commanding lead early on, only to finish 77 points adrift of Zak Brown’s squad in third.
Red Bull complained about McLaren’s ‘mini DRS’ rear wing trick after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a race won by Oscar Piastri. After a dialogue with the FIA, they agreed to change the design.
However, technical director Pierre Wache says McLaren are still using the outlawed design for 2025. This is despite the FIA attempting to tighten up the rules.
Red Bull were also unhappy with McLaren’s front wing last season, and the sport’s governing body have taken action. From the Spanish Grand Prix onwards, there will be stricter tests to prevent teams from exploiting flexibility rules.
The accusations travelled in multiple directions. McLaren called attention to Red Bull’s front-bib device at the United States GP, though FIA officials subsequently clarified that there was no way for the drivers to alter ride height from the cockpit, which would have been illegal.
Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari face FIA rear wing examination before Australian Grand Prix
According to a report from Italian outlet FUnoAnalisiTecnica, Red Bull have ‘prepared an official and accusatory file’ about McLaren and Ferrari’s rear wings. They believe the Scuderia are in breach of the regulations, as well as the reigning champions.
Now the expectation is that FIA delegates will visit Maranello and Woking before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. They will carry out ‘strict checks’ on the cars driven by Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Piastri and Norris.
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Ferrari are said to be ‘calm’ about the situation. They don’t believe that they’ll face ‘too many problems’ and they ‘reject the accusations’ from Red Bull.
In terms of car performance, 2025 is set to be one of the highest F1 seasons in recent memory. That means any marginal gains, even if they’re secured off the race track, could be key.
Ferrari data shows Lewis Hamilton may already be copying Charles Leclerc
‘Paddock chatter’ places Ferrari fourth in the F1 pecking order before Melbourne. But while most agree that McLaren are ahead – and therefore the easiest target for suspicion – positions two to four have been widely interchangeable.
The slight pessimism around Ferrari may be a product of a messy final day, where off-track excursions were followed by an early stoppage. There were clearly signs of progress on day two, however.
Based on the onboard footage, Hamilton looked more comfortable in the SF-25 than he did in last year’s Mercedes. Perhaps Ferrari hit on the set-up sweet spot that day.
Data shows Hamilton using a similar technique to Leclerc on corner entry, specifically with regard to throttle and brake overlap. He’s no doubt studied the Monegasque’s telemetry closely as he tries to adapt to a new set of handling characteristics.
