McLaren makes light of the 'tyre water' allegation.

      "It’s unlikely that you can cool so effectively with air alone."

      The focus has shifted back to the rivalry between McLaren and Red Bull in Miami. It is well-documented that the respective leaders, Zak Brown and Christian Horner, do not see eye to eye, which adds to the friction surrounding the debate over flexible wings. Red Bull’s recent concern has centered on McLaren's exceptional tire management, particularly their ability to heat the tires and maintain them within the ideal range. There are suspicions that the team based in Woking might be injecting water into the Pirelli tires. In response, McLaren CEO Brown humorously took a sip from a water bottle labeled "Tyre Water" while in Miami. However, Red Bull remains unfazed, employing specialized thermal imaging cameras to observe temperature discrepancies when McLaren changes tires during pit stops. Auto Motor und Sport reports that during especially hot races like Bahrain and Jeddah, thermal images showed noticeable blue (cool) areas around McLaren's brake vents, unlike the orange and red from other cars. A Red Bull source stated, "It’s impossible that you can cool so well with air alone." Aside from the water bottle jest, Brown called the suggestion of secret water injection into the tires "absurd."

      Meanwhile, new father Max Verstappen arrived in Miami just three hours before the Friday practice, discovering that his Red Bull, rather than Yuki Tsunoda’s, features a new floor. Advisor Dr. Helmut Marko informed Servus TV: "Tsunoda doesn't have the new floor yet. Compared to Yuki, Max experiences less understeer, but there is still some. However, it is clear that we are heading in the right direction." Commenting on the gap to the leading Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli and the two McLarens, Marko stated, "They have new engines. A new engine always provides more power, and it seems to have worked well for them here," he explained to Servus TV. Finally, after Verstappen revealed that his daughter Lily was born "a few days" ago in Monaco, Marko was asked about this notable change in the life of the four-time world champion. "These are Max’s personal matters," noted the 82-year-old. "It's wonderful that he has a child, but this is unrelated to motorsport."