Following a scoop by Motorsport.com earlier this week, there were suspicions speculating around the paddock of which team was using a height altering front ‘bib’ to improve performance. It was confirmed yesterday that said team was Red Bull Racing and that they were currently in conversations with the FIA over the clampdown.
In Austin on media day, both Red Bull drivers have denied the allegations that the device was used to gain an advantage during any of the races when speaking to the media.
The device in question can alter the height of the car’s splitter which would in turn affects the ride height of the car, and that will have a significant effect on the car’s aerodynamic performance.
By adjusting the height of the T-train of the car, there will be significant effects on the underfloor dynamic. Lowering it can impact the height of the front wing and increase its effectiveness.
It can also affect the car’s overall balance, shifting it forward, which could reduce the tendencies of understeer and increase downforce.
While the device itself is not illegal according to the FIA regulations, it would be if changed under Parc Fermé conditions between qualifying and the race.
Red Bull put out a statement out on Thursday, stating: “Yes, it exists although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run.
“In the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward.”
Whether the agreement would result in Red Bull removing the part as a whole or if alternate agreements were made with the FIA is still not confirmed.
When asked about the device, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez replied, “There has been nothing that we were doing. We never actually talked about it. It was impossible.
“It was completely out of it because we were concerned about something like what happened to Mercedes that could happen to us.”
He was comparing the situation to the joint disqualification of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc during the 2023 Austin Grand Prix for excessive underfloor plank wear.
Max Verstappen wasn’t even aware that the allegations were about his own team, stating that he initially believed it was about another team when he heard the device was being discussed with the FIA.
“It is open source, right?
“Everyone can see it. For us it was just an easy tool when the parts were off. It was to adjust, but once the whole car is built together you cannot touch it. So for us it doesn’t change.
“When I read it [the story], I was thinking about other teams doing it and then I found out it was related to our team, and we never even mentioned it in the briefing.”
Perez has also added that the decision ultimately comes down to the FIA since they dictate what can or cannot be done by the teams.
He went on to say, “I think it is down to the FIA to draw a line whether it is legal or illegal.
“They are the ones who control the sport, so at the end of the day it is up to them to decide.”
The technical drama has been causing more waves around the paddock than usual as it comes right after allegations against McLaren’s “mini-drs” rear wing, allegedly allowing them to gain an advantage on the straights during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and previous weekends before that.
