The FIA have found no evidence of extra moisture in F1 tyres and wheel rims during an inspection over the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, according to reports.
The FIA have found no evidence of extra moisture in F1 tyres and wheel rims during an inspection over the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, according to reports.
It comes after Red Bull raised concerns that some teams – including F1 2024 title rivals McLaren – have been adding water to their tyres to help control overheating.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen took a giant step towards a fourth consecutive World Championship at Interlagos, winning from 17th on the grid to collect his eighth victory of the F1 2024 season.
Verstappen holds a 62-point lead over McLaren driver Lando Norris ahead of the final three races in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
A latest title triumph would see Verstappen become only the second man in F1 history after Sebastian Vettel, who previously dominated with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, to win each of his first four World Championships in successive years.
Despite Verstappen's healthy position in the Drivers' standings, reigning champions Red Bull currently sit a disappointing third in the Constructors' table – 49 points adrift of leaders McLaren – having suffered an alarming mid-season slump.
Verstappen's victory in Brazil marked his first win in 10 races – ending his longest barren run since the 2020 season – with Red Bull falling behind McLaren and Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship during the second half of F1 2024.
Reports over the Brazilian GP weekend claimed that Red Bull believe McLaren and a number of other teams on the F1 2024 grid have been benefiting from adding a small amount of water into their tyres via the valves for cooling purposes, with F1's governing body the FIA investigating the allegations.
Red Bull are said to be aware of the advantages of this practice, having previously employed it themselves before it was outlawed by an FIA technical directive some years ago, with the tyres produced by F1 supplier Pirelli notoriously prone to overheating.
Mario Isola, the head of Pirelli's F1 and racing activities, revealed over the Brazilian GP weekend that the Italian manufacturer has found no evidence of teams adding water to their tyres, with no abnormalities seen in the data.
And a report by Motorsport.com has revealed that F1's governing body have come to the same conclusion, with the FIA finding no evidence of 'extra moisture' in tyres and wheel rims after an inspection in Brazil.
It is claimed that Red Bull's suspicions originated at the September's Singapore Grand Prix, where Norris won from pole position to beat Verstappen by 20.9 seconds in one of the most dominant displays of F1 2024.
The report adds that evidence of teams using water to aid tyre cooling 'was alleged to have been spotted with water and watermarks seen inside some rims after tyres had been stripped at Pirelli's base post-race in Singapore.'
The tyre-cooling trick is the latest development in the off-track battle between Red Bull and McLaren in F1 2024.
McLaren agreed to modify their entire range of rear wings last month after a so-called "mini-DRS" system – designed to improve the car's performance on the straights by opening a slot gap in the rear wing – helped Norris's team-mate Oscar Piastri to victory in Azerbaijan.
Red Bull then found themselves at the centre of the "bibgate" row ahead of the United States Grand Prix, related to a mechanism in the cockpit allowing the team to adjust the car's ride height.
Red Bull issued a statement during the US GP weekend that they have "agreed a plan going forward" with the FIA on the matter.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso has become the latest leading name to criticise Pirelli's wet tyres in the aftermath of the rain-affected Brazilian GP weekend.
Wet tyres have been a bone of contention among drivers for some time, with many not having enough faith in the tyre to use it in conditions that would normally call for the heavily grooved extreme-wet compound.
Speaking to DAZN Spain after the race at Interlagos, Alonso said: "It wasn't ideal conditions, but we also don't have the [right] tyres for the top class category of the sport.
"When it rains a little bit we always have aquaplaning, there are always accidents.
"I think Franco [Colapinto] even [crashed] behind the Safety Car. Sometimes you can't even follow the Safety Car [in the wet]. We have to improve that."
