It wasn’t just sparks flying on the track last season, tensions between Red Bull and McLaren boiled over off it, too. Just before the Brazilian Grand Prix, Red Bull threw a serious accusation McLaren’s way, claiming the Woking-based team had illegally injected water into their tyres to cool them down.
The alleged trick? Injecting a coolant- possibly water- through the valve to manage tyre temperatures and reduce degradation. That kind of edge could mean a stronger pace during the race, especially in the crucial closing stages. The claims came to a head after the Singapore Grand Prix, where Red Bull insiders said they saw water spraying from McLaren’s tyres post-race. That, they believed, wasn’t just rain or champagne.
FIA Scrutiny And McLaren’s Sharp Response
Red Bull didn’t stay quiet. The team flagged their suspicions with the FIA, who were already monitoring tyre behavior closely. The governing body had banned the practice of pre-race tyre cooling years earlier after concerns some teams, including Red Bull themselves at one point, were pushing the limits. According to Red Bull, McLaren may have brought the trick back under the radar.
McLaren, though, didn’t flinch. They dismissed the accusations outright. A Pirelli spokesperson also stepped in, saying the tyre supplier had found nothing out of order in its post-race analysis. “If anything suspicious was found, the FIA would’ve been informed immediately,” the spokesperson told reporters.
At the heart of all this was a tough battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. As the championship heated up, so did the politics. Norris had cut Verstappen’s lead to 44 points after a key sprint race in São Paulo, while McLaren built a solid lead in the constructors’ standings, leaving Red Bull trailing behind both them and Ferrari.
The drama didn’t end with formal channels. McLaren CEO Zak Brown threw in a bit of mischief during practice, sipping from a bottle labeled “tire water,” a cheeky nod to the controversy.
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Last year Red Bull suspected McLaren was injecting water to cool its tyres…
— Autosport (@autosport) May 2, 2025
Zak Brown's water bottle at the #MiamiGP 👀 pic.twitter.com/Dh8BvE8LyF
Christian Horner brushed it off with a smirk. “It’s very hot out there, but I’ll send him a Red Bull down if he needs some energizing,” he joked when Sky Sports brought it up.
Last season’s title fight wasn’t just about lap times. It was layered with gamesmanship, digs, and a growing rivalry that looks ready to carry into future seasons, on and off the track.
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