Toto Wolff has said he has "no doubt" the McLaren is legal after a Miami Grand Prix weekend which saw the return of previously quashed Red Bull allegations.
Tempers started to flare at the Miami International Autodrome, with McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown effectively telling Christian Horner and his team to 'put up or shut up' over claims the Woking squad is using illegal tyre and brake cooling methods.
When those suggestions originally surfaced towards the end of last season, the FIA found no evidence of wrongdoing on McLaren's part.
It emerged over the round in Florida that Red Bull has supposedly been carrying out its own investigation, using thermal imaging cameras to get a better understanding of the constructors' champion's brake and tyre temperatures.
Brown was also seen drinking from a bottle labelled "Tire Water" during practice in a thinly-veiled dig at Horner, who quipped back himself.
Wolff, however, can see nothing that indicates impropriety on McLaren's part, underlying the "integrity" within the rival F1 team.
"I think that the team around Zak [Brown], Andrea [Stella], Rob Marshall... these are good people with integrity," the Mercedes team principal told media including RacingNews365.
"If in the past, [we] often say: 'Well, let's look at whether there's something borderline', but I have no doubt that these guys [McLaren] stay within the rules.
"It's just really good development [with] that car. They've understood how to manage the tyre much better than everybody else and, in my opinion, it's totally legit."
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Swiping at Red Bull
George Russell finished a distant third to the two MCL39s of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the Sunshine State, crossing the line over 37 seconds behind the Australian, but Wolff does not see that as grounds for pointing the finger.
The 53-year-old took aim at Horner and Red Bull, arguing it is not the "right attitude" to make accusations of cheating just because a competitor is out-performing you.
"Also, from a team management point of view, we should never... when somebody is doing a better job than you, we should not look at that and say: 'They're cheating', because that's not the right attitude anyway," the Austrian said.
"So we just need to become better and eventually not get [lose] 30 or 35 seconds over 57 laps."
Incidentally, Red Bull contested the results of the Miami Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen following Russell home in fourth.
The Milton Keynes squad believed the British driver had not sufficiently reduced his speed under yellow flags, but the FIA rejected the protest.
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they look back on the biggest talking points from the Miami Grand Prix. Ferrari's radio tension, Oscar Piastri taking charge and Max Verstappen needing to change his McLaren approach are major discussions.
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