Red Bull points finger at McLaren in Australia: “The MCL39 manages tires in an unusual way”. Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal, examines the McLaren MCL39.

Red Bull vs. McLaren—there’s an early controversy in the Australian GP, as Christian Horner raises concerns about the MCL39’s tire management. The Woking car is undoubtedly the most well-balanced on the grid and also the most aerodynamically efficient. Without the rain, the two Papaya cars would have secured a dominant one-two finish. The grid will be chasing them in China.

The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne confirmed the Bahrain predictions. Considering Ferrari’s struggles, it’s fair to say that Milton Keynes’ expectations were accurate: the MCL39s ahead of everyone, followed by Max Verstappen, the Mercedes duo, and then, as the fourth force, the two SF-25s.

McLaren’s dominance is not surprising, but it is concerning. In the third sector—the one that best reflects a car’s capabilities—Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri seemed unbeatable. While Max Verstappen could keep pace with the Papaya duo in T1 and T2, it was in T3 that the MCL39s pulled away. According to Christian Horner, this was all due to a superior—and unusual—tire management approach.

Christian Horner on the MCL39: “It brings tires up to temperature and doesn’t degrade them”

After the race at Albert Park, Christian Horner shared his thoughts: “I think McLaren has a well-balanced car, especially in the third sector, where they seem very strong. Max had a good start, but I think we were a bit harder on the tires, particularly in the last sector. So the gap to McLaren started to increase.” – he pointed out.

“[The way they manage the tires] is different from everyone else. What’s quite strange is that they have excellent warm-up but also very low degradation. Usually, one comes at the expense of the other. So, on this circuit, they seem to have mastered this aspect.” – the Red Bull team boss added.

“When you have a very well-balanced car, it changes everything. It’s always an interaction between aerodynamics and mechanics. You can see it with McLaren—they have excellent balance, especially on this track. And that results in great tire degradation control. Their car is very gentle on the tires.” – Christian Horner concluded.