Breaking: McLaren Setback as FIA order Immediate D…read more
FIA clears McLaren of any wrongdoing over alleged “tire-water” cooling ploy
Following a thorough post-race inspection in the wake of the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, the FIA has officially ruled that McLaren did not employ any forbidden liquid-cooling trick to keep its tyres in the perfect temperature range. The verdict ends several weeks of whispered paddock speculation that the Woking outfit’s unexpectedly commanding early-season pace must be rooted in something borderline illegal.
The rumor mill went into overdrive after Miami, where Oscar Piastri extended his Drivers’ Championship lead with another emphatic victory and Lando Norris locked out the front row in qualifying. Rivals wondered aloud whether McLaren had discovered a clever way to bypass Article 11.5 of the 2025 Technical Regulations, which bans the use of fluids or refrigeration devices to modify tyre temperatures once the wheels are on the car.
In a moment of tongue-in-cheek mischief, team boss Zak Brown even appeared on the pit wall brandishing a clear drinks bottle labelled “tire water,” trolling competitors who had suggested exactly that. The prop made for viral social-media fodder but did little to quell suspicion inside rival garages.
As part of the FIA’s standard random-selection process, Piastri’s car—chassis number 81—was pulled from the top-ten finishers for an extended teardown. According to the technical delegate’s report issued ahead of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, officials disassembled all four wheel-bodywork assemblies and performed two specific tests:
1. Compliance with Technical Regulation Article 3.13 – confirming every component’s design matched the approved reference drawings and materials list.
2. Physical verification of Technical Regulation Article 11.5 – ensuring no active or passive fluid-based cooling systems were present and that no liquid was circulating inside the wheels, brake ducts or tyre blankets once the car left the garage.
Inspectors found zero evidence of pipes, reservoirs, phase-change materials or concealed channels that might allow chilled liquid to reach the tyres. Every nut, bolt, duct and fastener precisely matched the homologated specification registered by McLaren at the start of the season. The delegate concluded that “all inspected components were in full conformance with the 2025 Formula One Technical Regulations.”
The ruling will be greeted with relief by McLaren, which has returned to front-running status thanks to a heavily revised MCL38B introduced at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Technical director Peter Prodromou insisted throughout the controversy that the team’s edge comes from “old-fashioned aero efficiency and mechanical grip, not gadgetry,” and the FIA’s findings appear to vindicate that claim.
For championship leader Piastri, the clearance means he heads to Imola with his Miami win intact and a genuine performance advantage rather than a cloud of doubt. For the broader grid, however, the episode is a reminder that the stewards remain vigilant and that playful paddock banter—like Brown’s “tire water” stunt—can sometimes ignite full-scale investigations.
Still, with six races down and McLaren leading both title fights, rivals must now focus on track-side upgrades rather than conspiracy theories if they hope to close the gap. The next opportunity arrives this Sunday at the historic Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, where cooler spring temperatures will test every team’s tyre-management prowess—liquid-cooled or otherwise.
