FIA found McLaren's tyre cooling tricks out? Why the regulations have been changed
McLaren CEO Zak Brown during the Chinese Grand Prix - Photo: Race Pictures
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Reportedly McLaren's rivals have been sceptical to the Woking-based team's tyre preservation capabilities. The World Motorsports Council has now seen fit to make a change to the regulations for the 2026 season.
Since the Brazilian Grand Prix last year, reports have surfacing regarding teams suspecting that McLaren's tyre cooling might be outside of the confines of the regulations.
The FIA has conducted several investigations into the braking systems and the wheel assemblies, and they've only ever found 'clever' solutions, but nothing illegal.
Oscar Piastri takes the checkered flag at the Spanish Grand Prix
Why the F1 regulations have been changed?
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Still there was some unrest among certain teams that McLaren could be exploiting a loophole in the regulations pertaining the use of gagdets particular to tyre cooling.
This week the World Motorsport Council has effectively changed the regulations regarding the use of tyre cooling devices, according to The Race.
Whereas the rules previously read:
"d. The only permitted type of tyre heating devices are blankets that comply with the design prescriptions listed in Article C10.8.4."
"e. Any other device, system or procedure (except for driving of the car) the purpose and/or effect of which is to heat, or maintain the temperature of the hubs, or brakes, above the ambient air temperature, or to maintain their temperature if they are already warm, is prohibited."
It has now been changed to:
"d. The only permitted type of tyre heating devices are blankets that comply with the design prescriptions listed in Article C10.8.4."
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"e. With the exception of air entering through the apertures defined in C3.16.6 and C3.16.16, and the blankets permitted in (d) above. Any device, system or procedure (except for driving of the car) whose purpose and/or effect is to heat, cool, or maintain the temperature of the complete wheels, hubs, or brakes is prohibited."
The words "cool" and "complete wheels," certainly stand out. Whether this has come at the express request of the teams, or due to a new finding it is not yet known. The implementation of the new wording of the regulation, however, will take place as of the 2026 F1 season.
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