McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown's use of a water bottle marked "tire water" at the Miami Grand Prix was a response to Formula 1 rival Red Bull designed to raise a "serious point" to force teams to raise all allegations formally rather than through "back channels".
Last year Red Bull grew increasingly suspicious about where McLaren's improved performance had come from and this included a theory that McLaren was adding water to its tyres to help keep them cool.
Red Bull suggested it had "evidence" of this, which is understood to have upset McLaren, as it insists there was and is zero evidence of such trickery because it has done nothing of the sort.
The FIA was prompted to look into the matter at the Brazilian Grand Prix, though, although detailed analysis by the governing body - which included discussions with tyre supplier Pirelli - found no indication of wrongdoing.
Red Bull's suspicions have continued into 2025 with other theories emerging about how McLaren could be deriving its advantage in tyre cooling and management, and in Miami on Friday Brown opted to respond in an unusual manner.
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He was shown on television during the live coverage of Friday's practice session drinking from a water bottle marked "tire water", but Brown said it went beyond mockery and was "poking fun at a serious issue" he wants F1 and the FIA to consider.
"Teams have historically made allegations of other teams [doing wrong], most recently, one team focuses on that strategy more than others," Brown told select media including The Race.
"And I think that there's a proper way to protest a team at the end of the race, and you have to make a [case]; it's formal, disclose where it comes from, put some money down.
"That process should be extended to all allegations to stop the frivolous allegations which are intended only to be a distraction.
"So if you had to put up some money and put on paper and not back channel what your allegations are, I think that would be a way to clean up the bogus allegations that happen in this sport which are not very sporting.
"And if someone does believe there's a technical issue, by all means you're entitled to it. [But] put it on paper, put your money down.
"It should come against your cost cap if it turns out you are wrong, and I think that will significantly stop the bogus allegations that come from some teams in the sport."
Brown said that needed to be a "meaningful" figure so that teams were making a serious choice between making an allegation and potentially developing a performance-enhancing part of their car.
"We're all right at the limit of the budget cap," he said.
"We will not waste a dollar on anything that we don't think brings performance, so it's probably £25,000. Would I spend £25,000 on a distraction tactic or development of my own race car? I'd spend £25,000 on my race car all day long."
The intrigue surrounding McLaren's advantage this season has revolved around how the team appears to be better able to keep its rear tyres cooler than its competitors.
Rival teams have been baffled about how McLaren is able to manage this without it then suffering the compromise of having trouble with tyre warm-up issues in qualifying.
In a quest to try to get a more complete picture of the situation, it is understood that Red Bull has used thermal imagery of McLaren's rear brake drums for greater insight into what is going on.
These images have left it even more confused about how McLaren appears to be able to run things much colder than anyone else.
But while Red Bull has been probing the matter and has been in dialogue with the FIA over what is going on, McLaren has strongly refuted any suggestions that there are any tricks behind what it is up to.
And, amid some fresh paddock whispers about the FIA potentially intervening at some point over the previous few races, Brown has rubbished suggestions of anything having been altered on the McLaren.
Asked by The Race in Miami if the FIA had asked the team to change anything on its car regarding tyre or brake temperature management, Brown said: "No. Nothing."
