Red Bull Racing can finally breathe a sigh of relief after the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) determined there is no evidence to suggest that any bib modifications were made to their lineup. The news came shortly after being called out by McLaren CEO Zak Brown in October. Brown was suspicious of Christian Horner’s team finagling with the bib devices to adjust the floor during Parc Ferme.
In Parc Ferme, scrutineers check each vehicle from top to bottom to ensure that no modifications are made and that it’s safe enough to run on the track during a race. Lucky for Red Bull Racing, Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile ruled that there was no evidence to suggest that any rules had been broken but could not determine that similar events had not occurred in the past, but the case has been officially closed.
Why the Case Is Closed
While a much more in-depth investigation was conducted than Red Bull Racing originally intended, it seems they have landed on their feet for now. When asked about the investigation by various media outlets, the head of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, Nikolas Tombazis, mentioned that sweeping through only a couple of years of evidence wasn’t enough time to review all of the necessary evidence and call it thorough.
He added he feels like it’s getting more attention than needed due to the speculation by rivals like McLaren Automotive that Red Bull equipped their RB20 with modifications to bib devices during Parc Ferme. There’s speculation that this happened between the race and the qualifying session, which would violate Formula 1 standards. All teams’ garages contain cameras that monitor mechanics and crew members under Parc Ferme.
However, since there is access to surveillance footage, the likelihood of evidence still being there is slim to none, so there wouldn’t be much to work with even if they were reviewed, according to Tombazis. Cars aren’t constantly monitored under Parc Ferme conditions, meaning it wouldn’t be impossible if a crew member or mechanic at Red Bull Racing wanted to make changes. Still, he can’t, with a clear conscience, accuse the team of any wrongdoing, and it’s something he’s not comfortable with.
“I mean, honestly, can I say with complete certainty about whether there’s ever been anything irregular?” No. Can I say that the matter is closed? Yes, absolutely,” Tombazis said. “I do think the amount of discussion about this topic is about a factor of 100 more than it deserves,” he added.
What Red Bull Racing Is Saying About the Matter
As Red Bull Racing fans know, Team Principal Christian Horner has been harshly critical of the investigation and brushed it off as an onslaught of the ongoing tension between McLaren Automotive and CEO Zak Brown. Brown’s skepticism and push for the team to be held accountable for potentially modifying bib devices during parc ferme conditions have been suspected of being installed on vehicles driven by famed World Champ Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
The controversy seemed to be the topic of conversation throughout the United States Grand Prix in Austin on October 20 as rumors swirled. Brown suspects that Red Bull Racing is currently the only team with the ability to make adjustments to a vehicle’s ride height while drivers are seated inside the cockpit, and questions should be raised. Horner recently defended his team and even labeled the event as a diversion tactic and just a bunch of moaning on the part of McLaren Automotive, but was it?
It seems like Red Bull Racing has dodged a huge bullet. Still, Horner didn’t do the team any favors by admitting that modified versions of the bib devices have been on the team’s RB20s for as long as three years and hidden in plain sight in open-source component documents that the public can access. Interestingly, he continues to defend the use of the device, describing that it was inaccessible unless several parts, including panels, pedals, and pipework, were removed.
Final Thoughts
It has been revealed that the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile did not find any evidence to suggest that Red Bull Racing modified the bib devices responsible for adjusting ride height. In early October, Zak Brown called the team out for suspecting that changes were made during Parc Ferme conditions, which is against Formula 1 regulations.
CEO Christian Horner vehemently denied the allegations but contradicted this statement by saying that the device had been present for 3 years on their RB2os. Could this potentially conjure up more controversy? The sharp contrast in statements from Horner in recent months seems enough to raise eyebrows, so stay tuned.
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