George Russell has said that those at the top of the McLaren Formula 1 team have “integrity” amid claims that areas of the squad’s car are potentially rule-breaking.
The Woking-based squad has been in stupendous form so far this season, taking wins in all but one of the six Grands Prix held so far this year.
McLaren’s morale-sapping supremacy has led to a gaggle of teams – allegedly ring-led by Red Bull – to cast aspersions over the legality of the MCL39.
German publication Auto Motor und Sport has reported that Red Bull has begun tracking McLaren’s pit stops through thermal imaging cameras, such is its apparent concern.
Asked if any team can catch McLaren, Russell, who took his fourth podium of the year in third place, said that its management of tyre temperatures is its key strength.
“I’ve been saying that a lot of season,” he told Sky Sports.
“What we saw from them in the likes of China and Japan, it’s probably their worst case scenario, and what we’re seeing in the hot race of Bahrain and Miami is their best case scenario.
“So on their worst day, they’re still the best. On their best day, of course, they’re the best.
“So, we want to keep on improving. It’s clearly down to tyre temperatures, because they’re just making a step when it’s really hot.
“And I think Max has said it once or twice already as well. It’s like nine teams doing something wrong, it’s only one team that have got it really right. So we’ve got to improve.”
However, Russell clarified that his feeling is that McLaren has done nothing wrong in terms of legality, and that it appears to be the beginning of a new dominant era in F1.
“I don’t believe they’re doing anything untoward,” he said.
“They’ve been this dominant condition for 18 months now, so you’ve got to give them credit where credit’s due, and the rest of us have to improve.
“I think we have ideas ourselves where we can improve in this regard, but that’s a long-term process, and that’s a bit of a bugger.
“But this is Formula 1, when there’s a team dominating, it’s very challenging to catch back up.”
Mercedes has faith in McLaren amid FIA examinations
Meanwhile, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff added his belief in the team’s hierarchy having the uprightness to always operate within the laws of the sport.
“I think that the team around Zak [Brown], Andrea [Stella], Rob Marshall… these are good people with integrity,” he said.
“If in the past, [we] often say: ‘Well, let’s look at whether there’s something borderline’, but I have no doubt that these guys stay within the rules.
“It’s just really good development [with] that car. They’ve understood how to manage the tyre much better than everybody else and, in my opinion, it’s totally legit.”
When the issue with McLaren’s tyres was first raised at Singapore last year, Pirelli found no evidence to suggest any wrongdoing.
However, it is understood that the FIA, when conducting post-race checks on one of the two McLarens in Miami, gave special attention to the rear braking system.
It is not known whether the reason for singling out this particular part of the MCL39 was down to another team’s recommendation, or whether the sport’s governing body is now taking the hearsay into its own hands.
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