Lando Norris hints Red Bull have made a ‘pre-school’ accusation about McLaren’s F1 car in 2025

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McLaren stretched their lead in the F1 constructors’ championship beyond the 200-point mark with a one-two at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. Lando Norris led home Oscar Piastri in another dominant showing.

Even though Norris and Piastri had battled for much of the first stint, they finished almost 20 seconds clear of nearest challenger Charles Leclerc. Ferrari have only just cleared the 200-point mark in the constructors’, while McLaren have now blazed past 400.

But as Norris explained on the latest episode of the ‘Beyond the Grid’ podcast, McLaren’s dominance invites scrutiny from rival teams. While they won the constructors’ championship last year, this is the first time in recent history that they’ve clearly led the way from the outset.

McLaren have scored 18 podiums this year, three times more than next-best Mercedes. Their drivers have hoovered up eight victories from a possible 11, as well as seven poles.

Lando Norris says McLaren rivals are making up ‘nonsense’, including tyre water theory

Of their three main rivals, McLaren have faced most heat from Red Bull this season. Christian Horner’s squad have been focused on their tyre cooling.

Red Bull pointed a thermal imaging camera at their car in the F1 pit lane and thought the rear temperatures were ‘impossibly’ low. That prompted them to ‘bombard’ the FIA with questions.

At the end of last year, Red Bull alleged that McLaren were injecting water into their tyres. Zak Brown drank from a bottle marked ‘tyre water’ at the Miami GP, which may have indicated that the issue was still being discussed in the F1 paddock.

McLaren’s car has since been inspected and found to be in full compliance with the regulations. While Norris didn’t mention Red Bull by name on the podcast, it’s clear from context which team he was talking about.

“You learn that in pre-school,” he said of the tyre-water accusations. “It’s been very amusing seeing what people can come up with and just create out of nonsense.

“We’re under more scrutiny, there are more checks, there are more rules, more things have been implemented to try and slow us down and make things more difficult. But that’s just life at the top.

“When you get to the top, you have more people trying to drag you down, especially when it’s team against team. That’s a big part of it for them, trying to see how you can get at each other.

“In some ways, it’s any means necessary for a team trying to get back on top. Sometimes, it’s individuals coming out with bizarre theories of water in tyres, or in the brake ducts, which means you’re doing a good job if people are having to come up with such nonsense.”

Red Bull desperately need to do one thing after Austria woes

It’s clear at this point that Red Bull need to focus on themselves. And they may have realised that too, with the FIA’s inbox seemingly getting quieter.

The Austrian GP was an alarming illustration of their overreliance on Max Verstappen’s talents. Yuki Tsunoda was struggling in the midfield even before his race unravelled in a collision with Franco Colapinto.

Tsunoda was the last classified car, two laps down. Jos Verstappen fears that Red Bull could ‘fall apart’ under Horner’s leadership.

And for that reason, Verstappen is strongly considering a move to Mercedes. The team have made a frustrating lack of progress in addressing the problems they’ve faced for the last year.