McLaren’s explosive start to the 2025 Formula 1 season has turned heads, not just for their speed, but for how they manage to keep their tires in the perfect operating window. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has admitted that he finds McLaren’s ability to both heat up and sustain their tires better than anyone else on the grid “very strange.”
After the latest race, where Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locked out the front row and left Max Verstappen struggling in the third sector, Red Bull is questioning whether McLaren is using an undisclosed technical trick. The speculation is now growing—are McLaren just ahead of the game, or is there something more to it?
Red Bull’s concerns stem from how McLaren’s performance differs from the rest of the field. While Verstappen suffered from tire wear in his first stint, Norris and Piastri managed to maintain their grip and pace without issue. Horner acknowledged the brilliance of McLaren’s car balance but remained skeptical about how they are achieving their tire advantage.
“It’s very strange. They get the tires up to temperature quickly and then they can keep them in the right operating window longer than anyone else,” Horner told reporters.
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He also pointed out that McLaren’s biggest strength seems to be in the third sector, where they gain nearly three-tenths of a second on Verstappen—an unusually large margin at this level.
Red Bull Suspects a Clever Trick
According to reports from AutoRacer, Red Bull suspects that McLaren might be using an innovative technique to enhance tire performance. However, there is no concrete evidence of foul play, and what exactly McLaren is doing remains a mystery.
This wouldn’t be the first time such suspicions have surfaced. Last season, rumors swirled about teams potentially using water injection systems inside the tires to regulate temperatures. The FIA conducted an investigation but found no illegal practices. Could McLaren be exploiting a new loophole?
So far, the Woking-based team has not commented on the speculation, but the whispers in the paddock are getting louder.
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Red Bull’s Strategy Gamble
Beyond McLaren’s potential tire trickery, Red Bull’s race strategy for Verstappen also came under scrutiny. When rain started falling, McLaren reacted immediately by switching to intermediate tires, while Verstappen stayed out for a few extra laps.
Horner explained that the team had hoped to overcut Norris by delaying Verstappen’s pit stop.
“We thought we might be able to outsmart Norris by staying out longer and passing him in the pits,” Horner said. “In hindsight, it may not have been the right choice, but at the time it seemed like an opportunity we had to seize.”
With McLaren appearing to have a three-tenths-of-a-second advantage per lap, Red Bull will need to find a way to close the gap quickly if they want to keep their championship hopes alive. Whether that means uncovering McLaren’s secret—or simply out-developing them—remains to be seen.
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