The FIA ​​​​confirms that it cannot prove whether Red Bull used a bib in the parc ferme

The FIA ​​has stated that it cannot confirm whether Red Bull has successfully used a ride-height vest to gain a competitive advantage during the 2024 Formula 1 season.

Following the unveiling, Red Bull may have the option to change the ride height of the RB20 at Parc Ferme. The sport’s governing body has sought to clarify whether the team broke the rules.

If the reigning champion had manually adjusted the ride height before the technical checks, the team could have driven the car more competitively, potentially improving performance.

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

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

He also confirmed that changes have been made going forward to negate possible future events, negating the team’s potential advantage for the remainder of 2024.

“I think we did everything we needed to do to prevent charges from coming,” Tombazis said.

“I think from now on it’s definitely not a story anymore. I think we did everything we needed to do to avoid accusations.

“Obviously it’s a tight championship and people get quite excited about each other’s cars and so we can’t definitively close on the previous races or any insinuations between teams in a very competitive environment.

“But in the current situation we think it is a non-story,” he confirmed.

Tombazis went on to say that any benefit gained would be small, making controls at Parc Ferme virtually impossible to quantify, confirming that the lack of historical priority only compounds the problem.

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

“But we also don’t have any indication or evidence or anything like that that anything unusual has happened before.”

Red Bull challenging

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

He also added that the team has come under increased scrutiny as a result of its dominant performances since the introduction of the ground effect cars in 2022.

“It was a conversation we actually had with the FIA ​​in Singapore and they looked at it and are more than happy with it. They are completely happy with it,” he says.

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

“You can’t adjust them during the parc ferme and that didn’t happen. It would be easier to adjust the length of a floor stand, roll bar or push bar than to take out the pedals.

“We have cameras monitoring the cars. There are inspectors and witnesses who keep an eye on the cars. Our car has come under more scrutiny in the last three years than any other car in the pit lane. So we feel completely at ease,” Horner concludes.

Rivals are divided over next steps

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown pushed hard for a thorough investigation into the issue amid concerns that Red Bull was gaining more of an advantage than initially thought.

Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur, on the other hand, backed the FIA, confident of the outcome of the investigation, but said he expects action if the rules are broken.

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

“But if they use it (in the parc ferme), it’s clearly cheating, it’s not a gray area or anything. We had a lot of gray areas from the start of the season, but if that were 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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