McLaren have been officially cleared of using any illicit methods to cool their tyres after an investigation by the FIA, putting an end to one of the more bizarre Formula 1 conspiracy theories to gain traction in recent years.
The probe followed a period of speculation triggered by McLaren’s dominant run since the beginning of the season, and especially by its superior tyre management which was on full display in Miami last time out.
This only fanned the flames of suspicion from rival teams, notably Red Bull.
The theory? That McLaren had devised a way to inject water into their tyres to cool them during races — a sort of high-tech sprinkler system for F1 rubber.
Despite sounding more like a subplot from Wacky Races than modern motorsport, the claims gained enough momentum to trigger official scrutiny.
A Thorough Investigation
The FIA confirmed in a technical delegate’s report ahead of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix that Piastri’s victorious MCL39 was selected at random for post-race inspection in Miami.
These inspections targeted specific components suspected of playing a role in the alleged tyre-cooling conspiracy.
"After the race in Miami car number 81 was randomly chosen among the top ten cars for more extensive physical inspections,” the FIA's report stated.
"Subject to these physical inspections were the wheel bodywork assemblies. The following checks were carried out on all corners: The compliance of all components with TR Article 3.13. Physical checks for compliance with TR Article 11.5 on all four corners.
"All inspected components were found to be in conformance with the 2025 Formula One Technical Regulations.”
Crucially, Article 11.5 of the technical regulations specifically forbids liquid cooling of brakes — a key area of suspicion. In layman's terms: if McLaren were sneaking any H₂O into their tyres or brake ducts, the FIA didn’t find a drop.
Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari also underwent similar spot checks and was likewise cleared, though no one had suggested Maranello was experimenting with inner-tyre hydration systems.
Zak Brown’s Sip of Sarcasm
While the FIA was busy debunking the “tyre water” myth, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown decided to have a bit of fun with the absurdity of it all. During the Miami Grand Prix, Brown was spotted on the pitwall sipping from a water bottle labelled “tire water!”—a tongue-in-cheek jab at the ridiculous allegations.
“[The water bottle] was poking fun at a serious issue, which is teams have historically made allegations of other teams. Most recently, one team focuses on that strategy more than others,” Brown explained.
"There's a proper way to protest a team at the end of the race, and you have to make it formal, disclose where it comes from, put some money down.
"I think that process should be extended to all allegations to stop the frivolous allegations which are intended only to be a distraction.
"So if you had to put up some money and put on paper and not backchannel what your allegations are, I think that would be a way to clean up the bogus allegations that happen in this sport, which are not very sporting.
"And if someone does believe there's a technical issue, by all means you're entitled to it. Put it on paper, put your money down.
"It should come against your cost cap if it turns out you're wrong, and I think that will significantly stop the bogus allegations that come from some teams in the sport."
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While it's not unusual for F1 teams to suspect each other of bending the rules in the relentless pursuit of performance, the "tyre water" saga stands out for its creativity.
One can only imagine engineers in Milton Keynes or Brackley flipping through plumbing catalogs or thermal dynamics textbooks trying to find the mythical system McLaren allegedly deployed.
But with the FIA’s findings now public and definitive, it seems the only water McLaren are using is for hydration – and perhaps a splash of humour.
With five wins in six races, the MCL39’s form looks to be down to innovation, not irrigation.
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