A big controversy has once again entered the F1 paddock as, according to Motorsport.com and the German outlet Auto Motor und Sport, Red Bull believes that some rival teams, including McLaren, may be using a trick to cool their tyres during races.

They suspect that these teams are injecting water or another liquid into the tyres through the valves just before the tyres are put on the cars. This coolant could help keep the tyres cooler, reducing wear and improving performance on the track.

Concerns about this method came up after the recent Singapore Grand Prix, where some teams were reportedly seen with liquid inside their rims, which is unusual. Normally, teams work hard to remove all moisture from the tyres to make sure they can reach the best tyre pressure.

In fact, F1 rules are designed to limit moisture in tyres, focusing on maintaining specific conditions as Article 10.8.4 states that: “Tyres may only be inflated with air or nitrogen” and “any process the intent of which is to reduce the amount of moisture in the tyre and/or in its inflation gas is forbidden.”

The FIA is looking into this situation but hasn't made any official comments yet. However, some insiders suggest that this might just be a minor issue that distracts teams from their work.

It’s important to remember, that using this method could be very risky for a team. They would need to ensure that the water evaporates during or right after the race, so Pirelli technicians don’t find anything when they take the tyres off. The tyre supplier’s engineers are also present in every team's garage to check for anything unusual.

Reportedly, Red Bull developed this idea from past experiments with the technique before it was ruled illegal and now suspects that former employees who joined rival teams are using an improved version of the trick.