FIA Supports McLaren’s Push for Protest Reforms After Red Bull Controversy
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has come out in support of McLaren CEO Zak Brown’s proposal that teams should be required to pay a substantial deposit when filing protests against rivals. The aim of this initiative is to discourage baseless or tactical complaints that can damage reputations without presenting solid evidence.
The proposal came in response to a recent situation involving Red Bull Racing. Toward the end of the previous Formula 1 season, reports from German media claimed that Red Bull suspected McLaren of using an illegal method to cool their tyres. Specifically, it was alleged that McLaren was injecting water into the tyres to enhance their cooling efficiency — a claim that raised eyebrows across the paddock but was never backed by any credible evidence.
Zak Brown made his stance clear in Miami, humorously addressing the accusation by writing “tire water” on a bottle and drinking from it in front of cameras. The gesture was meant to mock the unfounded suggestion while drawing attention to what Brown sees as a growing problem in the sport: teams launching accusations without going through the proper channels or providing evidence.
Speaking on the matter, Brown said, “The water bottle joke was meant to highlight a serious issue. For years, some teams have made allegations about their competitors without properly backing them up. Recently, one team in particular has developed a reputation for relying on that strategy more than others. If you’re going to protest, it should be done officially — with transparency and accountability.”
Brown believes that formal protests should not be taken lightly. He stressed that teams should follow the FIA’s official procedures, which involve disclosing the source of the complaint and paying a deposit to submit the protest. This would, in his view, reduce the number of frivolous or strategic allegations made simply to disrupt or distract rival teams.
Ben Sulayem echoed Brown’s concerns and supported the notion of tightening the protest system. The FIA president acknowledged that protests are a vital part of maintaining fairness in motorsport but emphasized that the process must be respected and not used as a weapon to undermine competitors without due cause.
“Zak is absolutely right,” Ben Sulayem said. “We have a system in place for protests, and it needs to be respected. Requiring a financial deposit is one way to ensure that any protest brought forward is serious and based on some level of credible evidence. We cannot allow the sport to become dominated by gamesmanship and mind games off the track.”
The proposed approach would not be entirely new to Formula 1, as deposits are already part of the protest procedure outlined in the FIA’s sporting regulations. However, Brown is pushing for stricter enforcement and potentially higher financial requirements to further deter baseless accusations.
The incident involving Red Bull and McLaren may not have led to any formal protest, but it still sparked unnecessary speculation and media coverage. Brown’s lighthearted jab with the “tire water” bottle was his way of highlighting how damaging unfounded claims can be — even when no official complaint is lodged.
This isn’t the first time Brown has called for reform in the governance of F1. He has long been an advocate for greater transparency, stricter enforcement of rules, and more consistency in stewarding decisions. His latest push for a stronger protest protocol has now gained the backing of the sport’s top authority.
If implemented, the changes could lead to a more disciplined and fairer protest environment, ensuring that teams focus on performance rather than politics. It remains to be seen whether these proposals will be formally adopted, but the public support from the FIA president signals a strong step toward reducing off-track tensions and encouraging professionalism in Formula 1.
