How Red Bull went ‘crazy overboard’ in complaints to FIA over McLaren rear wing

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McLaren agreed to modify their controversial low-downforce rear wing after a dialogue with the FIA, who came under growing pressure from Red Bull. It’s perhaps the biggest legality dispute F1 has seen in 2024.

McLaren say they proactively offered to make changes to their wing, which harnessed a ‘double DRS’ effect. This helped Oscar Piastri win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

According to executive director Helmut Marko, Red Bull complained to the FIA three times. They didn’t lodge a formal protest – one that could have seen McLaren disqualified if it was upheld – but they were determined to force a redesign.

Following Piastri’s win, Zak Brown’s squad replaced Red Bull at the top of the constructors’ championship. They had led the way since Spain 2022.

Lando Norris then romped to victory in Singapore, with Piastri completing a double podium. That gives McLaren a 41-point lead with six races remaining, which only looks set to grow.

Red Bull were 114 ahead after Max Verstappen’s victory at the Emilia Romagna GP in May. The turnaround since has been remarkable, with Christian Horner’s team now on an eight-race winless streak.

Red Bull’s reaction to McLaren’s rear wing shows they’re under ‘pressure’

Red Bull’s stunning loss of form has put the team under ‘pressure’, Auto Motor und Sport journalist Michael Schmidt says. This was evident in their campaign against McLaren’s Baku wing.

Schmidt feels they went ‘crazy overboard’, independently compiling ‘reports’ that they sent to F1’s governing body. One of those suggested McLaren were gaining two-tenths every lap.

Brown and team principal Andrea Stella have both played down the speed advantage. The MCL38 had passed all the requisite FIA tests, but Red Bull were adamant that it was ‘illegal’.

Schmidt said: “The pressure at Red Bull – you can see that. They have gone crazy overboard in this wing affair. They have carried out analyses and submitted reports to the FIA to prove this McLaren rear wing from Baku was illegal.”

Red Bull may also have ‘dirt’ on another big-name F1 team

The disputes between the F1 frontrunners may continue over the six remaining races. Indeed, Marko has demanded the FIA examine McLaren’s front wing next.

In their statement on Friday, meanwhile, McLaren called for their competitors to come under scrutiny. It’s clear that the leaders are testing the limits of the regulations more than ever in the third year of this ruleset.

F1 teams also have ‘dirt’ on Ferrari over their rear wing, which may be why they were quieter on the McLaren issue. The Scuderia could make tweaks in the background to avoid trouble.

Elsewhere, McLaren announced the signing of Will Courtenay to deal a further blow to Red Bull. Courtenay was Horner’s chief strategist and will take up the role of racing director under Stella.