Lando Norris has mocked Red Bull’s claims that McLaren were injecting water into the tyres of its Formula 1 cars, comparing them to something people learn “in pre-school.”
The Woking-based squad has been the class and the envy of the field this season, dominating in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.
Some of its performance has been down to the nigh-on incredible way it can manage the temperature of its tyres better than any other team.
This caught the attention of other outfits, with Red Bull leading the charge of trickery being raised, suspecting McLaren was injecting water into its rubber to keep them cool.
So much was the suspicion that the FIA took measures to check if such underhand methods were being used, but all were proved not to be the case.
Speaking on the F1 ‘Beyond the Grid’ podcast, Norris rubbished the notion McLaren would cheat, and took aim at Red Bull’s accusations.
“You learn that in pre-school,” he said.
“It’s been very amusing seeing what people can come up with and just create out of nonsense.
“We’re under more scrutiny. There’s more checks, there’s been more rules, there’s been more implements of things to try slow us down and make things more difficult.
“But that’s, I think, just life at the top. When you get to the top, you have more people trying to drag you down, and especially when it’s team against team.
“You know that’s a big part of it for them is trying to see how you can get at each other and how you can, in some ways by any means necessary.
“And for a team to try and get back to being on top, and sometimes, you know, it’s individuals coming out with just some bizarre theories of water and tyres or in the brake ducts and all that stuff, which means you’re doing it the right thing.
“You’re doing a good job if people are having to come up with such nonsense.”
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