McLaren Tyre Trick Allegations Dismissed by Brundle

McLaren Tyre Trick Allegations Dismissed Amid Red Bull Speculation

Martin Brundle has dismissed the idea of McLaren using water to cool tyres, despite Red Bull's suspicions about the MCL39's legality.

Reports surfaced during the Miami GP weekend that Red Bull was skeptical about the MCL39, following earlier speculation about McLaren injecting water into its tyres for cooling. The FIA and Pirelli found no evidence of this. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown responded humorously by drinking from a ‘tire water’ bottle in Miami.

Auto Motor und Sport reported that Red Bull used thermal cameras to monitor McLaren's tyre cooling ducts, finding unusually low temperatures around the brake vents. Sky F1's Ted Kravitz noted that such 'spying' on tyre temperatures is common in F1.

Why it matters: McLaren's strong tyre management has puzzled rivals, leading to these allegations.

The details:

• Red Bull reportedly used thermal cameras to monitor McLaren's tyre temperatures.
• Martin Brundle argues that adding water to tyres is illogical due to pressure control issues.
• Bernie Collins supports Brundle, noting teams actively remove moisture from tyres.

Brundle's perspective: He emphasized that moisture in tyres leads to a loss of control. Adding water would create steam, making pressures uncontrollable. He attributes McLaren's tyre management to their geometry, cooling, and overall package.

Collins' view: Tyre temperature management is complex, involving many factors like brake temperature and car performance. Pirelli's monitoring makes it hard to bypass regulations. McLaren's advantage likely comes from their brake and cooling duct design.

What's next: The FIA and Pirelli will continue to monitor tyre pressures, but McLaren's design innovations are likely the key to their success.