P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The scrutiny that McLaren found itself under earlier in the 2025 F1 season ended up being reassuring once it realised how much time Red Bull was devoting to its most wild theories
“The intense scrutiny McLaren faced for their car advantage during the early 2025 Formula 1 season ultimately served as a reassurance for the team, highlighting the extent of Red Bull’s focus on wild theories about McLaren.
A bitter rivalry between Red Bull and McLaren peaked in 2025, with McLaren’s boss, Andrea Stella, believing that Red Bull’s tactics actually worked against them.
Under Christian Horner’s leadership, Red Bull pressured the FIA to intervene due to alleged wing flexing and speculated about McLaren using water to cool their tires.
Despite Red Bull’s attempts to gain an edge over McLaren, rule tweaks and investigations did not diminish McLaren’s advantage, leading to further extreme tactics by Red Bull involving theories on tire cooling trickery.
McLaren viewed Red Bull’s intense scrutiny as both a potential distraction and a testament to their success in focusing on technical fundamentals rather than exploiting regulations.
McLaren faced inaccurate speculations and thorough inspections by the FIA in response to the accusations, remaining collaborative and rational throughout the process.”
