The FIA ​​said it was unable to confirm whether Red Bull had successfully used a ride-height mudflap device to gain a competitive advantage during the 2024 Formula 1 season.

Following the revelation that Red Bull may have the ability to change the ride height of the RB20 at Parc Fermé, the sport’s governing body sought to clarify whether the team had broken regulations.

If the reigning champions had manually changed the ride height before technical inspections, the team could have run the car more competitively, potentially improving its performance.

FIA technical delegates could be seen in the team’s garage during Friday’s practice session, as the rivals closely inspected the car leading the Drivers’ Championship.

Speaking to Sky Sports at the United States Grand Prix, FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis said he could not categorically prove that no advantage had been gained during the season .

He also confirmed that changes had been made to eliminate any potential future events, thereby negating the team’s potential advantage for the remainder of 2024.

“I think we have done everything necessary to put an end to any accusations,” Tombazis said.

“I think it’s definitely not a story from now on. I think we have done everything necessary to ensure that there are no more charges.

“Of course it’s a close championship and people are quite excited about each other’s cars and so we can’t definitively close out previous races or any insinuations that there might be between the teams in a very competitive environment.

“But in the current situation, we think it’s not a story,” he confirmed.

Expanding, Tombazis said any benefits gained would be minor, making any closed park controls almost impossible to quantify, confirming that the lack of historical precedent adds to the problem.

“We’re actually talking about something like a few millimeters or something like that, potentially,” he said. “We’re actually talking about very small numbers. I don’t think that’s something we could check.

“But also, we have no indication, no evidence or anything like that of anything untoward that happened before.”

Red Bull provocative

Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Christian Horner revealed his relief at the results of the FIA ​​investigation on Friday, choosing to explain the technical details behind the controversy,

He also added that the team was under increased scrutiny due to its dominant performances since the introduction of ground effects cars in 2022.

“It’s a conversation we had with the FIA ​​in Singapore and they looked at it and they’re more than happy with it. They’re totally happy with it,” he said.

“So just to explain to the public, there are about 600 items on the car that are fully adjustable. Anyone can adjust these items.

“What you can’t do is adjust them during parc ferme and that’s what didn’t happen. It would be easier to adjust a floor stand, roll bar or push rod length than to remove the pedals.

“We have cameras that monitor the cars. We have scrutineers and witnesses who monitor the cars. Our car has received more attention over the last three years than any other car in the pit lane. So we are totally comfortable,” concluded Horner.

Rivals divided on next steps

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has insisted that a full investigation into the issue be carried out amid fears that Red Bull may gain more advantages than initially thought.

In contrast, Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur gave his support to the FIA, confident in the results of its investigation, but said he expected action if regulations were broken.

“We have to trust the FIA ​​on this point. I don’t want to comment on the rumors and such because I don’t know what happened, I’m definitely not on the team and I don’t know if they used it or not.” , Vasseur told Sky.

“But if they used it (in parc ferme), it’s clearly cheating, it’s not a gray area or anything. We’ve had a lot of gray areas since the start of the season but now, if that’s the case, it wouldn’t be a gray area at all, but we have to trust the FIA ​​and let’s see.

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