A suspected trick on the ride height of an Formula 1 car being adjusted during parc ferme conditions is circulating around. The FIA has been triggered to respond to this topic that will start from this weekend’s United States Grand Prix.
Sources revealed to Motorsport.com that discussions between several F1 teams and the FIA took place in the last few weeks. One unidentified team may have found a clever way to adjust the ride height of their cars between qualifying and race during parc ferme conditions.
Adjusting the front bib between qualifying and the race, even by a small margin, would provide a significant advantage. It would allow a team to fine-tune the car’s ride height, optimizing it for both low-fuel, single-lap performance in qualifying and the heavier fuel loads required for a full race distance.
However, such changes would directly violate F1’s technical regulations, which strictly prohibit any alterations to the car’s aerodynamic configuration – apart from the front wing – once it is under parc ferme conditions. This makes any modification, especially to an area like the front bib, a serious breach of the rules.
F1’s Technical Regulation outline the parts that can be changed, and the allowed changes in terms of bodywork in Article 40.2: “The aerodynamic set up of the front wing may be adjusted using the existing parts. No parts may be added, removed or replaced.”
In addition, Article 40.9 notes: “A competitor may not modify any part on the car.” And: “It must be clear from physical inspection that changes cannot be made without the use of tools.”
There are suspicions that a Formula 1 team may have developed a method to adjust the front bib (or T-tray) clearance via cockpit settings, potentially allowing mechanics to modify it unnoticed during routine assessments between qualifying and the race.
Teams were reportedly alerted to this possibility due to design details of all cars being uploaded to FIA servers, accessible to all competitors. While the FIA has received no concrete evidence that such a device has been used, concerns from teams have prompted the governing body to act ahead of race in Austin.
The FIA is set to introduce new procedures to monitor front bib characteristics, possibly involving the use of seals on any mechanisms that could alter the T-tray angle. The aim is to prevent any exploitation of this area, ensuring compliance with parc ferme regulations.
“Any adjustment to the front bib clearance during parc ferme conditions is strictly prohibited by the regulations,” an FIA spokesperson said. “While we have not received any indication of any team employing such a system, the FIA remains vigilant in our ongoing efforts to enhance the policing of the sport.
“As part of this, we have implemented procedural adjustments to ensure that front bib clearance cannot be easily modified. In some cases, this may involve the application of a seal to provide further assurance of compliance.”
