Red Bull admits it is facing an FIA crackdown over front bib clearance, following complaints from rivals over its potential to break parc ferme rules.

The FIA ​​has confirmed it is focusing on clearing the bib – and whether teams have arrangements to lift it between qualifying and a race to improve performance – ahead of the United States Grand Prix of this weekend. A Red Bull spokesperson told RACER: “Yes, it exists, although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run.

“In the many correspondences we have with the FIA, this part has been raised and we have agreed a plan for the future.

RACER understands the FIA ​​was alerted to the Red Bull device by a rival team during the last race in Singapore, leading the governing body to tell Red Bull it could not be used and should be sealed from the start of qualifying if he could. not be removed.

Without directly naming the team in question, the FIA ​​confirmed that it was focusing on this part of the car. The front bib is the central part of the floor, and increasing its clearance would allow a car to run lower in qualifying and thus avoid excessive sag and excessive wear of the boards when heavy with fuel during a race.

“Any adjustment to the front bib clearance in parc ferme conditions is strictly prohibited by the regulations,” an FIA spokesperson said. “While we have not received any indication that any team is using such a system, the FIA ​​remains vigilant in its ongoing efforts to improve control of the sport.

“As part of this, we have implemented procedural adjustments to ensure that the front bib release cannot be easily altered. In some cases this may involve the application of a seal to provide additional assurance of compliance.

Having such a device is not considered illegal – many teams can visibly adjust the height through the use of tools – but being able to do so under parc ferme regulations would be an offense. There is no expectation of retroactive action as it would not be possible to determine its use in the past, but the introduction of a seal would prove that the device is no longer used in the future.