Max Verstappen has downplayed the controversy over a ride height adjustment device on the Red Bull RB20 – and the Dutchman says that he knew nothing about it until news of an FIA clampdown emerged in the media.
Rivals were alerted to the device when Red Bull was obliged to put some technical information on an open source website that all teams have access to.
It allows adjustment of the bib under the front of the car, and the concern was that Red Bull could change the ride height under parc ferme conditions, which would be against the rules.
However the team insists that it was never used for that purpose.
“Yes, it exists, although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run,” said an RBR representative.
“In the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward.”
Verstappen insisted that the team gained no unfair advantage from it.
“It’s open source, right?,” he said. “Everyone can see it. For us, it was just an easy tool when the parts were off. It was easy to adjust, but once the whole car is built together, you can’t touch it. So for us, it doesn’t change.
“When I read [about] it, I was thinking about other teams doing it, and then I found out it was related to our team. We never even mentioned it in the briefing. So it’s just an easier tool to adjust that.”
McLaren driver Lando Norris downplayed the suggestion that a clampdown would hamper Red Bull and help McLaren.
“I mean, it’s one thing having it on your car,” he said. “It’s another thing on how much you exploit it and use it, which we have no idea on.
“If it has been helping them, if they’ve been utilising it in the way people think they have, then maybe it will shift in our direction.
“But when you talk about things like that, they’re not going to have got several pole positions or wins just because of such a device. I don’t think it really will change anything in the scheme of things.
“But when we look at maybe certain qualifyings and we look at the gap in certain races this year, when it’s been split by hundredths of a second in qualifying or even thousandths, then you might say, ‘OK, well, maybe this has helped in that direction or this direction.’
“But I think it’s good that the FIA are doing such a thing. There’s a difference between black and white stuff like this, and there’s a difference between F1 and pushing the boundaries and creating new things and innovating within the space that you’re allowed to innovate.
“And I think that’s what we as McLaren have done a very good job in. But we’re sure not to go any further than that.”
Meanwhile Oscar Piastri said: “We’re obviously pushing the boundaries of the technical regulations. Everyone is, that’s what makes F1 F1.
“But from what I’ve heard and been told something like this is not pushing the boundaries. It’s clearly breaking them. If it is something that’s being used, it’s clearly not been pushing the boundaries. It’s been out of the grey area and into the black area.”
