Sports

Red Bull has lodged a complaint against McLaren and other rival teams for allegedly injecting water in the tires to manipulate temperatures

Qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix was postponed until Sunday by torrential rain at Interlagos, but an even bigger storm was brewing off the track with governing body the FIA understood to be investigating allegations by Red Bull that McLaren are among a number of rival teams illegally filling their tyres with water to improve their performance.

The suggestion, which first surfaced in German publication Auto Motor und Sport and has been verified by Telegraph Sport, is that a number of teams, notably McLaren, have been injecting water – or another unspecified liquid – into their tyres through the valves shortly before they are fitted to their cars in the race. Doing so could keep the tyre cooler which would help to limit thermal degradation, and ultimately help deliver better race pace, particularly in the latter stages of the race. Or so the theory goes.

Max Verstappen lost three further points to Lando Norris in the sprint race in Brazil after a five-second penalty – Getty Images/Lars Baron

A technical directive was issued by the FIA a few years ago outlawing such a practice, with Red Bull among the teams thought to have used the technique in the past. The Milton Keynes-based team, who have lost a number of senior engineers to McLaren, now suspect their rivals of doing so, which they believe might explain their leap in performance. They also suspect other teams of having followed suit.

It is understood they became suspicious around the time of the Singapore race when water was seen emanating from a tyre when it was removed from the rim. They promptly raised the matter with the FIA, asking them to investigate.

Telegraph Sport has asked McLaren, who denied doing any such thing but declined to comment publicly. Tyre manufacturer Pirelli likewise declined to comment on the specific allegations but a spokesperson told Telegraph Sport that it would be “duty-bound to report anything illegal to the FIA” if it saw anything like that.

The row is the latest in a tit-for-tat war between Red Bull and McLaren which has raged all year, with McLaren’s “mini-DRS” rear wing and Red Bull’s “front bib adjuster” both coming under scrutiny. Both teams agreed to alter components in the wake of allegations, although neither squad was found to have done anything illegal.

Whether anyone will be found to have done anything illegal in this instance is uncertain. It will be difficult to prove anything retrospectively. Formula One tyres are all destroyed post-race. But if there was anything going on, it is likely to have stopped by now given the scrutiny.

Related Posts

Before the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Max Verstappen Enjoys Some Downtime with Girlfriend Kelly Piquet and Her Daughter

As anticipation builds for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Formula 1 sensation Max Verstappen has been spotted enjoying some downtime with…

Kelly Piquet congratulates Max Verstappen in a special way after winning the Formula 1 world championship

Max Verstappen has won the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship , beating Lando Norris and McLaren. In Las Vegas, Verstappen managed to finish in fifth position, while his title rival finished one place…

While Bryson DeChambeau Made Tiger Woods Forget Bad Blood, Fellow LIV Golfer Has Polar Opposite Experience

We all remember how Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau’s friendship went up in flames when DeChambeau joined LIV in 2022. The two had been buddies, sharing practice rounds…

REAL ENLOUQUECEU ! MBAPPÉ FAZ PEDIDO AO REAL SOBRE VINI JR ! SELEÇÃO VIRA PIADA MUNDIAL E MAIS

REAL MADRID ENLOUQUECEU! MBAPPÉ FAZ PEDIDO SOBRE VINI JR, SELEÇÃO É ALVO DE PIADAS E MAIS As últimas notícias sobre o mundo do futebol estão agitadas com novas…

Shocking Upset: Gervonta Davis Knocks Out Naoya Inoue, Ends His Unbeaten Streak And Costs Him $150 Million

In a stunning turn of events, Gervonta “Tank” Davis scored a shocking knockout victory over Naoya “Monster” Inoue, ending the Japanese boxer’s undefeated streak and potentially costing him…

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk confirm that the fight for the undisputed world heavyweight title will be next😈 🥊

The boxing world is about to witness one of the most anticipated fights in the history of the sport. Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, two of the best…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *