Red Bull has grown suspicious of McLaren’s car over the last couple of races, having raised issues with the FIA at recent races.
McLaren have enjoyed a rapid ascent from barely being able to finish on the podium to now dominating the first half of the 2025 F1 season.
Part of their uprising has been down to a recruitment drive from rival teams and the addition of a new wind tunnel facility, but it has not stopped rival teams from raising complaints.
McLaren have been forced to change their rear wing by the FIA after Red Bull found it was flexing too much under load. Red Bull would later accuse the team of using water to cool their tyres in Sao Paulo in a bid to improve performance.
Now, it appears Red Bull might have come up with their own response to the trick that McLaren has been running on their car, according to a recent report from AMuS.
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Red Bull might have come up with ‘theory’ to copy McLaren trick
McLaren are suspected to be running a trick braking system that cools the brake drums, which in turn has an impact on their tyre temperatures.
Pirelli’s tyres are prone to overheating quickly, with Red Bull’s RB21 suffering the most from thermal degradation, having also encountered the problem last year.
McLaren’s advantage was negated in Japan due to the track resurface at Suzuka, which contained a high level of bitumen, leading to Red Bull’s only win of the season.
Red Bull might now have found a solution, but according to a report from AMuS, they are having an adverse effect on their car.
Verstappen was frustrated when he encountered issues with his brakes at Miami, which impacted his ability to race both McLarens for the win.
When asked about whether it was related to tyre cooling methods, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner gave monosyllabic answers according to the report.
What is McLaren doing that has caught the eye of Red Bull?
Red Bull are wary of the methods that McLaren are using to cool their tyres in races, with one theory stemming from a thesis that uses phase-shifting materials.
According to the report from AMuS, McLaren may be using a solution in the brake ventilation system that changes the state of the insulating material from solid to liquid. In this transition, the temperature remains at a constant without influencing the tyres.
McLaren mechanics are often seen barricading the brake ducts just before races, which is why Christian Horner was seen inspecting this area on Oscar Piastri’s car in Miami.
Among their suspicions over their tyre cooling methods, Red Bull have also raised concerns over McLaren’s front wing and whether it is legal.
A technical directive is set to clamp down on flexible front wings at the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix.
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