Red Bull multiplies surprising proposals to the FIA ​​to compete with McLaren

In light of a random check carried out on the car byOscar piastri In Miami, the FIA ​​confirmed that no liquid was used by McLaren to maintain the temperature of its tires and braking system. The Woking team therefore appears to be using another method, while the use of phase change materials had been mentioned for a time as one of the possibilities for this advantage, also ruled out by this verification.

Faced with McLaren's major lead on this thorny subject of maintaining temperature, Red Bull seems to have defined a new priority objective as the mid-season approaches. Focused on the possibility of introducing new technology that would allow the Austrian team to significantly limit the overheating of its brakes and the wear of its tires, a batch of proposals has reportedly been sent to the FIA ​​in an attempt to unravel the mysteries of the hierarchy in the paddock.

Red Bull faces FIA rejection

Among the most surprising requests from Red Bull, The Race reports that it has heard of plans to use, for example, gas inside the tires instead of liquid to maintain a more stable temperature. Rejected by the FIA, this proposal is not the only one to have stalled at this stage.

The Milton Keynes team also introduced a cooling system installed in the wheel bodywork, as well as another consisting of injecting coolant into the laminated layers of the wheel's carbon structure. Ready to do anything to compete in ingenuity, the Austrian team even attempted to use the garages' cooling system to optimize the single-seater's maintenance within a controlled window.

Even more unlikely, water carried by the driver was also the subject of a proposal aimed at cooling the RB-21's brake system. The regulations do not specify that this water should only be used for the driver's use. However, all these ideas were deemed unacceptable by the sport's governing body.

A solution without liquid raises questions

Despite all these failed proposals, Red Bull also reportedly attempted to submit a proposal that seems to be closer to the limit, without going beyond it. Using thermoelectric modules, the operation would consist of an electric current flowing through two separate conductors. Thus, such a system would allow for the emission of heat, or the absorption of this heat, depending on the needs.

At first glance, such a system would be unassailable from a regulatory perspective, especially since this device, called "Peltier" would not require the installation of a new moving part. In other words, it would theoretically be compliant. However, the FIA ​​was quick to shed some light on this latest bold proposal. "We believe that the use of Peltier devices for cooling in this area is not covered by the technical regulations, but we would not consider it favorably and would seek to exclude it specifically for 2026."

In short, if Red Bull were to implement such a system, it would only serve to try to make up for the short-term deficit. In the long term, the stakes will be elsewhere, although the championship race has still not been ratified by McLaren's main rivals, almost three months after the start of the season.

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