EXPOSED: McLaren Fires Back – Accuses Red Bull of Illegal Floor Device After Verstappen’s US GP Rampage!
The F1 paddock is ablaze with fresh controversy as McLaren has escalated its war of words with Red Bull, formally accusing the Milton Keynes squad of deploying an “illegal adjustable floor bib” on the RB21 that allegedly allowed ride-height tweaks during parc fermé at the United States Grand Prix. The bombshell claim, lodged with the FIA on Tuesday (October 21, 2025), comes hot on the heels of Max Verstappen’s dominant Austin double—Sprint and Grand Prix wins that slashed his championship deficit to leader Oscar Piastri to just 40 points. McLaren CEO Zak Brown didn’t mince words in a blistering statement: “We’ve seen enough. Red Bull’s insane performances aren’t just pace—they’re suspicious. If this device is real, it’s a black-and-white breach with massive consequences.”
The accusation centers on a rumored “T-tray” or “bib” component on Red Bull’s underfloor, purportedly enabling drivers to subtly adjust the car’s plank height from the cockpit post-qualifying—bypassing parc fermé rules that freeze setups after official sessions. Whispers of this tech first surfaced in Austin’s media pen on Thursday, with multiple teams (including Mercedes and Ferrari) reportedly tipping off FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer. Onboard footage from Verstappen’s pole lap showed anomalous ground-effect behavior, with the RB21 “porpoising” less than rivals despite similar setups, fueling paddock sleuthing. McLaren’s formal protest, backed by thermal imaging and telemetry data from their garage, demands an immediate impound and investigation. “Ingenuity is F1’s soul, but cheating isn’t,” Brown told Sky Sports F1. “You can’t touch your car for performance gains in parc fermé—that’s rule 34.2, crystal clear.”
Red Bull’s Austin heroics—Verstappen’s third win in four races, including a 11-second demolition of Lando Norris—have already drawn envy amid McLaren’s recent teammate dramas. But this probe flips the script on earlier 2025 spats, where Red Bull cried foul over McLaren’s MCL39 “water cooling” in tires (dismissed by Pirelli in May) and excessive rear-wing flex. Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, fired back swiftly: “Pot calling the kettle black? We’ve complied fully—ask the FIA. McLaren’s sour grapes after their Turn 1 pileup won’t distract us from title hunting.” Sources close to the team confirm the bib “exists” but insist it’s “inaccessible” once assembled, a claim echoed in FIA correspondence. Verstappen, ever unflappable, shrugged it off post-race: “I drive what they give me. If it’s illegal, they’ll say so—until then, focus on lapping.”
FIA officials moved fast, summoning Red Bull mechanics for a Tuesday morning tech check at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ahead of the Mexico GP. Preliminary reports suggest no immediate disqualification, but the governing body has widened scrutiny to include ride-height sensors across all teams—a nod to 2024’s “flexi-floor” saga that cost Red Bull points. Lewis Hamilton, now at Ferrari, weighed in cautiously: “Suspicious? Absolutely. But let’s wait for facts—F1’s too often rumor-driven.” On X, #RedBullCheating trended with 75,000 posts, fans split between “Max magic” memes and conspiracy threads dissecting Austin aero data. McLaren’s Zak Brown, fresh off extending Piastri’s contract, hinted at retaliation: “If proven, expect protests at every race. Fair play or nothing.”
This exposé arrives as the 2025 title tightens: Piastri leads Norris by 14 and Verstappen by 40, with Mexico’s high-altitude chaos looming. Red Bull’s resurgence—bolstered by mid-season upgrades—has them eyeing a constructors’ fightback against McLaren’s lock. Yet history haunts: Red Bull’s 2021 “brake drum scandal” and 2024’s “bibgate” whispers cost them goodwill. Horner dismissed parallels: “We’ve been transparent—unlike some.” As FIA seals the RB21 for analysis, the Mexico weekend pulses with tension. Will Red Bull’s “insane” edge crumble under scrutiny, handing McLaren breathing room? Or is this paddock poker, with bluffs on both sides? In F1’s high-stakes game, exposure cuts deepest.
