Formula 1’s latest technical controversy has erupted at the Brazilian Grand Prix amid suspicions that some teams have allegedly used water to cool their tyres from the inside.

With the fight for the championship between Red Bull and McLaren getting super close, there has been an increased probing between the two squads over elements of their cars.

McLaren came under fire for its mini-DRS rear wing, which the team had to alter in the wake of complaints about the concept being outside the rules.

Then more recently there was a row over Red Bull having a front bib adjuster inside its car that some of its rivals suspected could have been used to adjust ride height during parc ferme conditions.

Both matters brought intervention from the FIA, but neither squad was found to have done anything illegal.

Now, however, Motorsport.com has learned that attention has shifted to a trick that Red Bull suspects has been used by several of its rivals – believed to include McLaren – to help cool tyres during races.

The theory is that some teams have found a way to inject water – or another unspecified liquid – into the tyres through the valves shortly before tyres are fitted to the cars in the race.

Having such a coolant inside the tyre could help keep the bulk of the tyre cool to help limit thermal degradation, and ultimately help deliver better race pace.

It is understood that concern about the activity erupted after the Singapore Grand Prix when sources suggest some rims of teams were spotted with liquid inside them – something that is unusual.

That is because teams normally make an extra effort to try to remove all moisture from inside a tyre as that helps to ensure teams can hit perfect peak tyre pressure.

Indeed, F1’s technical regulations make a point of trying to limit the amount of moisture that teams can remove rather than add.

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.”

Motorsport.com has learned that the FIA has been alerted to the concerns about the activity, and its head of single-seater matters Nikolas Tombazis has been in dialogue with Pirelli and teams at the Brazilian GP to discuss the matter.

Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner talks with Nikolas Tombazis, FIA Single Seater Director

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Furthermore, it is understood that Tombazis kept a close eye over the removal of the tyres from their rims after the sprint race in Brazil to see if there was any evidence of unusual liquid there.

Although there has been no official comments from the FIA over the matter, it is understood that there is scepticism about whether or not teams would be trying to exploit matters in this area.

The FIA scrutineering report from the sprint race also confirmed that tyres were inspected, and given the all clear. It said: “The tyres used by all drivers during the Sprint today have been checked.”

It is understood that the idea of adding moisture to tyres has been outlawed for many years through a technical directive that the FIA issued previously, so anyone found to have been adding liquid in this manner could risk being reported to the stewards.

The race pace mystery

Red Bull has been hunting for answers as to why its race pace advantage over rivals disappeared this season – especially at the Miami GP where a number of other squads made a leap that could not be explained through upgrades.

Max Verstappen said ahead of the Brazilian GP that the long runs of rival teams are hard to fathom.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

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“Some teams made huge steps on race pace, which is quite odd,” he explained. “Because if you look at our car compared to last year, we made steps in qualifying and in the race.

“The others also make a decent step in qualifying pace, but then they make a much, much bigger step in race pace. And that’s something that’s hard for us to understand.”

Team principal Christian Horner told Motorsport.com recently about the swing of form in Miami: “If one was a sceptic and somewhat paranoid, you say something’s changed. Because even when we’ve gone back to the configuration of the car that, for example, we had in China, we still have some of the same issues that we have experienced.

“But, in saying that, it changed for everybody, potentially. But I’ve never in a season seen a swing so exaggerated. Obviously we have to get on top of that. We have to understand it.”

PHIL FODEN has moved a chef into the grounds of his new home as he attempts to cook up a storm in the Premier League over the coming months.

The Manchester City and England striker has recently moved away from his Stockport roots and into a country pile.

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And Foden, 24, has taken a full-time chef with him who will live in the gatekeeper’s cottage on the Cheshire Estate.

A source revealed: “Phil wants to be on top of his nutrition and the chef has a lovely space to prepare all his meals.

“It’s the ultimate luxury and because he’s away a lot with the team, having his own chef means he can just focus on his football and young family.”

Foden’s mum Claire recently told Talk Eat Laugh: “The shocking thing is I hear him ordering salmon a lot now and he never used to eat that!

“He used to have low iron levels, but that’s all up to scratch now.”

Foden, 24, has three children with childhood sweetheart Rebecca Cooke.

He was named last season’s PFA Player of the Year after a sensational campaign with Man City.

He scored 27 goals and assisted 12 in 53 games as Pep Guardiola‘s men claimed their fourth successive Premier League title.

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But so far this season he has started just three of Man City’s 10 league matches.

One of those came on Saturday as the champions suffered their first Premier League defeat in 11 months.

Bournemouth beat Man City 2-1 thanks to goals from Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson.

The result leaves City two points adrift of Liverpool after Arne Slot’s men came from behind to beat Brighton 2-1 at Anfield.

Fellow title rivals Arsenal lost more ground as their 1-0 defeat to Newcastle sees them seven points adrift.

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There will be two seventh-tier sides in the FA Cup second round after Gainsborough Trinity and Harborough Town both progressed on Saturday – in hugely contrasting manners.

Gainsborough beat eighth-tier Hednesford Town on penalties after an eight-goal thriller.

The two lowest-ranked sides left in the competition were locked at 4-4 after extra time before Jordan Helliwell sealed the shootout 5-4 for the Northern Premier League team.

Harborough, meanwhile, thrashed Tonbridge Angels 4-1 on their first-round proper debut, while National League sides Wealdstone, Dagenham and Redbridge and Oldham all beat League Two opposition.

National League South side Weston-super-Mare forced Bristol Rovers to extra time before going down 3-1, while Northern Premier League Guiseley were edged out 5-4 on penalties by Stevenage, of League One.

More to follow.

DAMIEN DUFF was left hanging by Jose Mourinho after calling him during the celebrations of Shelbourne’s League of Ireland title triumph.

Former Chelsea winger Duff, 45, won back-to-back Premier League titles under Mourinho during his time at Stamford Bridge.

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Nearly two decades on and Duff claimed his first title in management in thrilling fashion on Friday night.

Shelbourne led Shamrock Rovers by two points heading into their final game away at Derry City.

And a 1-0 win was enough to clinch the League of Ireland for Duff’s men – the club’s first title since 2006.

During the post-match celebrations, Duff, 45, pledged €500 (£420) to the party if ex-boss Mourinho did not pick up the phone to him.

The old Newcastle and Fulham man put it on speaker and let it ring as he and his players nervously awaited a response.

Awkwardly, Fenerbahce head coach Mourinho failed to pick up – with Duff pretending to have gotten an answer before putting his phone away.

While waiting, he also joked he would go “double or quits on the next one”.

Duff, who has been manager of the Irish club since 2021, revealed following Shelbourne’s title win that Mourinho had sent his players a message in the lead-up to the game.

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He said: “Why Jose?’ Because do I try and build, have we tried to build a siege mentality, us against the world like he did? Absolutely.

“It would be mad not to tap into him. So Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, there was posts on the Instagram page. Powerful lyrics, powerful words that would resonate and have a meaning to tie in for tonight.

“Then, in the team meeting, there was a private message from Jose speaking about what it takes to win a title as a team, as an individual.

“It blew the guys away. A video that was shown in the Everglades two hours before the game.”