McLaren have been sensational to start the 2025 Formula 1 season and have the fastest car on the grid by a fair margin.
Both papaya pilots sit first and second in the drivers’ championship, having taken five of six victories on offer so far this campaign.
Oscar Piastri has been the biggest surprise, with his four victories helping him to a 16-point advantage over Lando Norris.
McLaren were nearly one second per lap faster than Red Bull or Mercedes at the Miami Grand Prix, and that advantage will take a while to be reduced.
McLaren have developed a ‘clever solution’ to cool their tyres, which Red Bull haven’t been able to find a fix for yet.
However, within the team, Piastri could be winding Norris up as the two gear up for a title fight. The Aussie has taken another leap in pace over the winter.
READ MORE: FIA forced to ‘triple-check’ McLaren’s car after ‘excessive’ complaints from F1 rivals over game-changing innovation
Martin Brundle says McLaren tyre accusations make ‘no sense’
As is the case when a team leads the way in Formula 1, it’s the job of the rivals to build a better car and beat them. Or, find a way to prove that their car may be illegal.
The most recent theory appears to be that the Woking-based outfit may be using water to cool their tyres and brig them into the optimal working window.
It’s a claim which has Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle baffled, as he explained to listeners on their podcast following the Miami Grand Prix.
“All I know is that I spent all my career hoping that we didn’t have any condensation in the tyres, because you just lose control of the tyre pressure at that point, by putting water in,” he said.
“It makes no sense, it would just turn into steam instantly anyway. Pressures would career out of control and the carcass of the tyre can sweat sometimes go odd. Then you put them up to 100+ on the track.”
Ex-Aston Martin strategist and expert Bernie Collins found it equally as amusing, replying, “It’s quite funny actually.”
READ MORE: Christian Horner’s fascinating Miami Grand Prix grid behaviour as Red Bull grow suspicious over McLaren’s 2025 F1 car
Why the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is a critical race for Red Bull
As the sport returns to Europe at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the first wave of big upgrades will be introduced by most teams.
It offers those who have been underwhelming to fix their cars and reset the trajectory of their seasons. Red Bull are one of those in desperate need of a clean slate.
If they fail to add anything meaningful to their car, then Max Verstappen’s hopes of becoming just the second driver in history to win five titles in a row could be over long before the final race in Abu Dhabi.
While he has shown that he is capable of working miracles, the odds of making that happen 18 times are very slim.
They also need to improve the RB21 if they want to keep their superstar driver, otherwise, he may look elsewhere for the 2026 F1 regulations.
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