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George Russell Dismisses Red Bull’s Claims, Praises McLaren’s F1 Dominance
George Russell has thrown his support behind McLaren amid growing scrutiny from Red Bull, who have questioned the legality of the British team’s tyre management system following their dominant start to the 2025 Formula 1 season.
McLaren has been the standout performer in the early part of the season, securing five victories from the first six races. Their commanding pace particularly in hotter race conditions — has prompted Red Bull to investigate the team’s tyre cooling methods, raising concerns over a possible breach of FIA regulations.
In response, McLaren CEO Zak Brown appeared to mock the speculation during the Miami Grand Prix, taking a sip from a bottle humorously labelled “Tire Water” a nod to the rumour that the team might be using water to cool their tyres illegally.
Russell, however, isn’t buying into the accusations. Speaking to the media, the Mercedes driver made it clear he believes McLaren is playing fair: “I don’t believe they’re doing anything untoward. They’ve been strong in these conditions for 18 months now, so credit to them. The rest of us just have to catch up.”
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff echoed Russell’s stance, affirming in Miami that he is confident McLaren’s MCL39 is within the legal parameters.
McLaren’s latest show of strength came in Miami, where Oscar Piastri dominated with a win over 37 seconds ahead of the closest non-McLaren challenger. Russell said the performance highlights how complete the team’s package is across different circuits.
“What we saw from them in China and Japan is probably their worst case scenario,” Russell noted. “And in Bahrain and Miami that’s their best case. But even on their worst day, they’re still the team to beat.”
Russell pointed to tyre temperature performance as a key factor behind McLaren’s edge: “They’re just nailing it when it’s hot. Max Verstappen has said it too it’s like the rest of us are doing something wrong, and they’ve figured it out. We’ve got to step up.”
As the grid prepares for the European stretch of the season, McLaren’s rivals are under pressure to respond to a team that’s currently setting the pace legally or not.
