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Red Bull drivers insist FIA clampdown will have zero impact
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez say the FIA's new focus on a ride height changing device will not impact Red Bull’s performance at the United States Grand Prix.
Red Bull has confirmed the presence of a device that lets it adjust the front bib clearance – at the front of the floor – quickly and easily, and that it has agreed a path with the FIA to remove it in future. While the FIA has not accused Red Bull of using it to change the ride height between qualifying and the race, it has stated that any team that did so would be breaking technical regulations.
Verstappen says there is nothing untoward about the device because it was visible to all teams on documents that the FIA holds, and is only used when working on setup options before parc ferme regulations kick in.
"It’s open source, right, everyone can see it,” Verstappen said. “For us, it was just an easy tool when the parts were off, it was easy to adjust. But once the whole car is built together, you can’t touch it.
“So for us, it doesn’t change [anything]. When I read it, I was thinking about other teams doing it, and then I found out it was related to our team. We never even mentioned it or anything. It was just an easier tool to adjust [the ride height].”
Perez echoed Verstappen’s comments, saying the FIA’s stance will have “zero” impact on the car’s performance during competitive sessions.
“There’s nothing we were doing with it,” Perez said. “We [didn’t] actually talk about it. It was quite… it was impossible [to use in parc ferme].
“If anything, I remember for example here last year it was a Sprint event so we ended up with the ride height in the moon. They were completely out of it, because we were concerned that something like what happened to Mercedes could happen to us.
“I knew it existed, but it was not available to us.”
Chris Medland
While studying Sports Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, Chris managed to talk his way into working at the British Grand Prix in 2008 and was retained for three years before joining ESPN F1 as Assistant Editor. After three further years at ESPN, a spell as F1 Editor at Crash Media Group was followed by the major task of launching F1i.com’s English-language website and running it as Editor. Present at every race since the start of 2014, he has continued building his freelance portfolio, working with international titles. As well as writing for RACER, his broadcast work includes television appearances on F1 TV and as a presenter and reporter on North America's live radio coverage on SiriusXM.
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