Formula 1 News: Horner denies suggesting McLaren car ‘illegal’

(GMM) Christian Horner has played down suggestions the Red Bull team is overtly accusing the McLaren F1 team of cheating.

In Miami, rumors suggested Red Bull had complained behind the scenes that the championship leaders could be mastering the art of tire management in 2025 by illegally injecting water into the Pirellis.

An incensed McLaren CEO Zak Brown hit back by trolling Red Bull for the world to see, sipping out of a water bottle on the pit wall labelled “Tire Water”.

He then dared Horner to lodge a protest but argued that it should cost Red Bull a lot of unrefundable money.

“I’m not saying there’s anything illegal about that car,” Horner responded. “My compliments to McLaren, they’re in their own class at the moment.”

However, he defended any team’s right to ask “questions”.

“There will always be questions asked in Formula 1,” said Horner. “McLaren did exactly the same thing with our front suspension last year. It’s inevitable that when you’re at the top, as we have been in recent years, everything is scrutinized.”