McLaren believe Christian Horner lobbied FIA for F1 rule change that ‘reinforced’ their advantage

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Red Bull are now learning what life is like without Christian Horner, but are also still paying the price for their actions during the Briton’s time as CEO and team principal.

The Milton Keynes natives only knew what life was like in Formula 1 with Horner calling the shots for the past 20 years. But Red Bull GmbH stripped the Briton of his operational duties this July, with Laurent Mekies promoted from Racing Bulls to take charge of Red Bull Racing.

Red Bull sacked Horner without telling him why the 51-year-old was being put on gardening leave while talks continue regarding his severance package. Horner is potentially in line for a £110m pay-off to leave Red Bull as his contract will not expire until after the 2030 F1 season.

Mekies is now trying to clean up the mess that Horner left, with Red Bull sitting fourth in the F1 constructors’ standings and 365 points from leaders McLaren. Max Verstappen has even taken 187 of Red Bull’s 194 points, but he trails Oscar Piastri by 97 after 14 of the 24 rounds.

McLaren believe the FIA’s flexible front wing clampdown ‘reinforced’ their advantage

It is looking increasingly likely that Piastri and McLaren teammate Lando Norris are now in a straight fight to win their first drivers’ title in the 2025 F1 season. Having failed to win any of the last seven races, Verstappen is convinced he will not win another Grand Prix this season.

READ MORE: All you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine

And McLaren may even have Red Bull to thank in part for their commanding position in both championships this term. The Race reports that McLaren believe the FIA’s flexible front wing clampdown introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix in round nine ‘reinforced’ their advantage.

The FIA started to enforce stricter static load tests in Barcelona after Horner had led Red Bull in putting ‘pressure’ on the governing body to intervene. Red Bull had often voiced concerns about McLaren’s front and rear wings flexing excessively, even also in the 2024 campaign.

But Red Bull have not found any advantage from the FIA decreasing the amount of static flex allowed from 15-10mm when applied symmetrically on both sides of a front wing, and from 20-15mm when applied to only one side. Instead, McLaren have been even more dominant.

Red Bull lobbied the FIA to introduce its flexible front wing clampdown sooner

Red Bull wanted the FIA’s flexi-wing clampdown to come in for race one of the 2025 season, yet the governing body agreed to delay it until round nine. The FIA did not want to rush in a new regulation when teams spent the winter designing wings that would have been wasted.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

McLaren then won six of the first eight Grands Prix this season, before the FIA’s flexible front wing clampdown came into force at the Spanish GP. Verstappen secured Red Bull’s only wins in 2025 at the Japanese Grand Prix (round three) and the Emilia Romagna GP (round seven).

Piastri and Norris have even handed McLaren five wins in the six Grands Prix since the FIA’s clampdown came into force, including in Spain. Only George Russell has broken their run of dominance with Mercedes’ only pole position and victory of the 2025 F1 season in Canada.