McLaren says Red Bull hurt itself with accusations

The rivalry betwixt Red Bull and McLaren during 2025 brought a batch of hostility and accusations, but from McLaren's constituent of view, the concern yet turned into an advantage. The caput of the squad from Woking, Andrea Stella, emphasized that Red Bull's unfounded claims and pressures diverted the attraction of the Austrian squad from what is truly important successful Formula 1 – the show connected the way and the method aspects of the car.

Under erstwhile brag Christian Horner, Red Bull openly pressured the FIA past year, claiming McLaren was utilizing excessively flexible beforehand and rear wings and adjacent suggesting the British squad was cooling the tires with h2o wrong the wheels. 

When those claims failed, Red Bull went a measurement further - obtaining thermal images of McLaren's rear wheels during tyre changes and providing the FIA with extended files connected alleged, near-illegal cooling tricks.

All this led to respective FIA inspections, including a elaborate cheque of McLaren's brake and instrumentality systems aft the contention successful Miami successful May. However, each clip the McLaren passed the checks without a problem.

The squad remained calm and focused

Andrea Stella emphasized:

"If our rivals are truthful acrophobic with it, past they are really the ones who are being distracted. For us, it was astir affirmative due to the fact that it means that their apical engineering unit are spending clip compiling files and talking to the FIA, alternatively of focusing connected what truly matters successful Formula 1."

The Italian added: 

"It outgo america possibly an hour, due to the fact that our radical had to amusement the parts to the FIA, but that didn't enactment america off. We knew the accusations were frivolous and we didn't fto it propulsion america disconnected the pace."

With the accomplishment of Laurent Mekies astatine the caput of Red Bull, the team's attack has changed. Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, points out: 

"We person a amended narration with Mekies and we expect a different, healthier signifier of rivalry." Mekies confirmed: "Competition connected the way is 1 thing, but successful strategical decisions for the aboriginal of the sport, it is mean that we speech and look for associated solutions. We bash not fell our interests, but we effort to beryllium constructive."

McLaren has shown that occurrence does not travel done accusations, but done a absorption connected method and performance. Red Bull, according to McLaren, paid the terms for spending excessively overmuch clip connected unfounded theories alternatively of improving the car.