Red Bull has been the dominant force in Formula 1 in recent years, but has recently faced a lot of opposition from McLaren and Mercedes. That makes the various top racing teams view innovations from the other side with suspicion.
Flexible front wings have become a frequent topic of discussion recently, but Red Bull has also complained about the McLaren’s brakes, according to Auto, Motor und Sport.
The group from Woking is said to use extra holes in the brake drums at the front and rear. Teams use sensors to collect information about rim and tire temperatures, but Red Bull suspects that McLaren created an additional cooling hole, which would violate regulations. According to the publication, this additional hole will allow access to the temperature sensor cable inside the brake cylinder aerator.
Red Bull’s doubts were fueled by the fact that Lando Norris performed well in Miami, Imola and Spain, where he kept his tires running better than Max Verstappen. Would information from holes and sensors help? The regulations state that the sensors can actually be installed in the brake drums during free practice on Friday, then the holes must be closed on Saturday and Sunday.
However, according to Red Bull, sometimes the hole in the McLaren car remains open during the race, but the FIA does not accept that. The motorsport federation inspected the McLaren team and discovered that the team had duct-taped the holes in Austria and England. It is unclear whether McLaren did so after Red Bull’s complaint or after an FIA inspection. The fact that Red Bull is said to have filed a complaint shows how explosive the fight is.