Reigning constructor champion Red Bull Racing has been under scrutiny for allegedly using a front bib height adjustment device. However, in a recent interview with Sky Sports F1, team principal Christian Horner took a dig at its title rival McLaren’s ‘doggy’ rear wing design.
Ahead of the US Grand Prix, Red Bull admitted about using a controversial height adjustment tool. Rumors of the device being used under the Parc Ferme condition began floating in the F1 community. While FIA stated that the use of such a device between qualifying and race is prohibited, they have not yet penalized the Austrian squad due to lack of evidence.
During an interview with Sky Sports F1 at the Circuit of The Americas, Horner not only admitted to the device’s existence but also claimed that it has been there for the past three years. He further added that the device is an open-source component and FIA has been aware of it since its inception. Red Bull chief also took a dig at McLaren’s rear wing design.
The interaction was shared on X by a Red Bull Racing fan page. Here’s a look at the post, captioned:
Christian Horner to SkySports: “I feel that it’s sometimes to distract from perhaps what’s going on in your own house, then sometimes you try to light a fire somewhere else..”
SkySports: “Are you saying the McLaren have something dodgy going on?”
Horner: “I mean, there’s an awful lot of noise about rear wings, and McLaren had to change theirs yesterday..”
SkySports: “They say that’s not the case”
Horner: “Oh really? Okay. I mean, it’s part of Formula 1, and I’m sure there will be other stuff that comes up between now and Abu Dhabi.”
“I’m comfortable that the FIA are on top of it” – McLaren’s Zak Brown feels comfortable with FIA’s action on Red Bull Racing’s ‘front bib’ device
After being made aware of Red Bull Racing’s controversial height adjustment device, FIA has implemented adjustments to ensure that the front bib clearance cannot be easily modified in Parc Ferme condition. During a media interaction at COTA, McLaren’s CEO Zak Brown claimed he felt comfortable with FIA’s action.
“I’m comfortable that the FIA are on top of it. I’m comfortable that the FIA have discovered an issue or a potential issue and they’ve rectified it moving forward,” Brown commented.
“It’s an open source component, so you can look at what all the teams are doing – it’s published and it’s the only team from what we can see that has the ability to make modifications from inside the cockpit, so some things don’t quite stack up in the sense of if you can’t adjust it in parc ferme or after, why put a seal on it if it’s already effectively sealed?” he added, questioning Red Bull and FIA’s clarification.
With six races to go, McLaren will be likely looking forward to defending their title lead against Red Bull. As of now, Red Bull Racing is 41 points behind McLaren in the constructor’s table.
