Before the United States Grand Prix, many teams complained to the FIA about the Red Bull bib system. They believed the Milton Keynes outfit exploited the device to alter the floor bib height between qualifying and the race. Rival teams argued this was a breach of parc ferme rules, so Red Bull agreed to make changes.
Following the Brazilian Grand Prix, the FIA visited the factory in Milton Keynes to further analyze the bib device. This was to determine if using it had given Red Bull an advantage that broke the rules and for how long. The findings were good news for Red Bull.
FIA investigation clears Red Bull of bib allegations
The FIA had declared the device had not been used illegally during the United States Grand Prix weekend. Following the visit to the factory, they concluded that the bib was never used outside of regulations.
In a statement, they summarised: “The FIA takes any such issues very seriously and seeks to investigate them in addition to all the regular checks it carries out during a race weekend and beyond.”
“As part of this assessment process, FIA technical representatives visited the Red Bull Racing headquarters to investigate in-depth recent allegations about their front floor design and its use. This investigation concluded that no breach has taken place, and therefore confirmed the position adopted by the FIA during the US Grand Prix in Austin.”
Toto Wolff on Red Bull’s front bib adjustment device:
“My view is, from the distance of what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard, it’s outrageous.”
“[…] I didn’t know that in F1, we were using such Bugs Bunny devices. It’s not good enough to say that this is it, and we promise that… pic.twitter.com/zovwwwtlMl
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) October 21, 2024
This news will annoy Red Bull’s rivals. They believe this tool gave Red Bull an unfair advantage. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff called the device “outrageous.” With the device now legal, will other teams copy it for their own use?
FIA closes investigation into tyre cooling
Reports over the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend saw Red Bull turn accuser, claiming many teams, including McLaren were illegally cooling their tyres. The claims were that several teams had been adding small amounts of water into the tyres through valves. This would have helped tyre performance in race trim and gained a tyre wear advantage.
However, the FIA investigated and squashed these claims. An FIA statement said: “The FIA investigated during the last grand prix in Brazil recent allegations that competitors may have used water to manage overheating of tyres. No evidence was found to suggest any irregular behaviour.”
With the FIA closing both investigations, the attention turns to the track. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen could become a four-time world champion if he outscores Lando Norris. The constructors’ championship is still up for grabs with three teams vying for the title.
