Red Bull is closely monitoring McLaren's wings.

      Tension remains palpable between the two teams.

      By GMM

      15 March 2025 - 16:26

      Red Bull is closely monitoring McLaren's flexible wings. As events unfolded in Melbourne, the predictions from experts were confirmed—McLaren is leading the pack while Red Bull faces difficulties. Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko stated this week that it’s "insane" the FIA is only enforcing restrictions on front wing flexibility starting from the Spanish GP in June. However, excessive flexibility in rear wings—such as McLaren’s clever ’mini DRS’ solution from 2024—has been prohibited immediately. Consequently, 50-gram, ultra-HD FIA cameras have been installed on the cars in Melbourne to observe bending at high speeds. Teams have been informed that if the footage shows a gap wider than 2mm, a reprimand from the FIA may occur. "However, disqualification is not an option," reports Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. "FIA sources indicate that if there are numerous violations, the regulations may be tightened on short notice, akin to the measures applied to the front wing," correspondent Michael Schmidt added. "Otherwise, the findings will be used to refine the regulations for the 2026 season." When asked if he believes McLaren is already stretching the rules in Australia, Marko told Kleine Zeitung: "We will certainly keep a very close watch on it."

      The tension between the two teams is evident, especially with the latest wild rumors suggesting that Lando Norris could be a candidate for Red Bull in 2026 if Max Verstappen chooses to leave. Marko playfully pointed out that Norris might not even be McLaren’s top driver already. "With (Oscar) Piastri’s long-term contract extension, I would say McLaren is relying on him," the Austrian remarked. Meanwhile, Verstappen smirked when asked about reports that McLaren CEO Zak Brown recently contacted his management team to "explore the market." "Once he realized how much he had to pay, it was instantly over," the Dutch driver told Viaplay. "I’m really not bothered by speculation," Verstappen added. "This is my eleventh season, so I’m not wasting my energy on that. I’m in a good place here and doing my best. Naturally, we want to improve our pace a bit, but everyone has that same desire."

      In other developments, the FIA announced in Melbourne that communications between drivers and teams over the radios will be exempt from the ’swearing ban’ in 2025.