F1 News: FIA Delivers Verdict After Red Bull Cheating Allegations

Saajan Jogia | Nov 13, 2024

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Crewmembers work on the Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) car in the paddock before the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

The Red Bull F1 team faced scrutiny ahead of the United States Grand Prix over allegations of a device on the RB20 that could alter ride height under parc fermé conditions. While the FIA cleared Red Bull of any wrongdoing, it visited the Red Bull factory in Milton Keynes to conduct a thorough investigation before delivering a final verdict.

Rumors emerged just before the United States Grand Prix weekend suggesting that a team was using an illegal device to adjust the ride height of its title-contending car during parc fermé, between qualifying and the race, in violation of F1’s technical regulations.

Reports eventually revealed that Red Bull was the team in question, with its RB20 car suspected of housing such a device. However, Red Bull defended its practices, explaining that any ride height adjustments on the RB20 would require disassembly, making changes in parc fermé impossible.

To address concerns, the FIA took steps to seal the contested device, making any future adjustments or tampering immediately identifiable. FIA single-seaters director Nikolas Tombazis confirmed after a thorough review that no evidence had emerged indicating Red Bull had used the device to alter the RB20’s ride height during parc fermé.

However, the FIA extended its front bib device investigation to Red Bull's factory, stating it "takes any such issues very seriously and seeks to investigate them in addition to all the regular checks." Following additional checks, the FIA found no evidence that Red Bull had violated the technical regulations. As reported on Motorsport.com, the governing body stated:

“The FIA regularly reviews and inspects the conformance to the technical, sporting and financial regulations of the F1 teams, and this may involve spot-checks at the circuit or inspections and investigations at the teams’ factories.

“Similarly, it is the prerogative of the F1 teams to bring to the attention of the FIA any concerns about the compliance of their competitors’ with the regulations, and this phenomenon is clearly intensified in championships where there may be closer competition for the ultimate prize, as has been the case in 2024.

“The FIA takes any such issues very seriously and seeks to investigate them in addition to all the regular checks it carries out during a race weekend and beyond.

“As part of this assessment process, FIA technical representatives visited the Red Bull Racing headquarters to investigate in-depth recent allegations about their front floor design and its use. This investigation concluded that no breach has taken place, and therefore confirmed the position adopted by the FIA during the US Grand Prix in Austin.”