FIA Launches Further Investigations On More F1 Cars After Red Bull Trickery Allegations

Saajan Jogia | 5 Hours Ago

Oct 23, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; The crew of Red Bull Racing Limited driver Sergio Perez (11) of Team Mexico wheel their car onto the grid before the start of the U.S. Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

After speculation arose regarding Red Bull allegedly altering the RB20's ride height in parc ferme conditions, the FIA dismissed it as a "non-story." However, the governing body has since conducted inspections on multiple F1 cars to check for similar ride height-altering devices.

Amid speculation regarding an unnamed team allegedly altering its ride height between qualifying and the Grand Prix at multiple race weekends, Red Bull acknowledged having a device at the center of the controversy. This came after reports that the FIA had received complaints and subsequently moved to crack down on such components, following the Singapore GP last month.

The team leading the front to report matters to the FIA was McLaren, whose CEO Zak Brown urged the governing body to look into the ride height device on Red Bull's title contender, since the device could be potentially accessed from the car's cockpit, though Red Bull clarified that the car needs to be taken apart to modify the bib clearance.

As a result, the FIA was seen in the Red Bull garage after FP1 on Friday at the Circuit of the Americas. However, according to a report, it isn't just Red Bull, but the cars of several other F1 teams that were inspected by FIA officials ahead of the United States Grand Prix.

This follows after the ride height device on Red Bull's RB20 was sealed to ensure it can't be used again in parc ferme. The inspection across other teams on the paddock was also done to check if there was another F1 car with a similar setup whose device needed to be sealed. Red Bull is expected to make the seal permanent ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

It is to be noted that every F1 team has mechanisms that enable adjustments to ride height around the front bib area. However, what makes Red Bull's device particularly controversial is the suggestion that it might have been used to modify setup settings between qualifying and the race, sparking significant debate and scrutiny.

While Red Bull has denied using the device to adjust ride height during parc ferme, the head of FIA single-seater, Nikolas Tombazis, said the matter has now been addressed. He explained:

“We didn't have any clear indication that somebody was doing such a thing.

“So we said that from this race onwards there must be no possibility to do such a thing at all.

“If a team has a design that would allow quick change of that height, then it will have to be seen, so they cannot have access in parc ferme.

“I think all teams have adhered to that. And as far as we are concerned, that's reasonably under control."

Tombazis acknowledged the possibility that similar situations might have occurred in the past, but he confirmed that the FIA has no intention of revisiting old cases. He emphasized that the change in ride height was minimal and there is no concrete evidence that the device was used in parc ferme to alter the setup, making it unnecessary to investigate further. He added:

“We are talking about a couple of millimeters or something [of change].

“We're really talking very, very small numbers. I don't think it's something that we could go and check.

“But, as I say, we don't have any indication or proof or anything like that about something untoward having happened before.”