Lando Norris says the contentious ride-height device – that has resulted in Red Bull making changes to their car – could have helped Max Verstappen claim crucial advantages in their championship battle.
Red Bull confirmed on Thursday, ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, that they have agreed a plan with the FIA to make an alteration to the RB20 following talks with the sport’s governing body.
Rival teams suspected a device on the Red Bull could allow them to advantageously change the car’s ride height via the ‘bib’ at the front of the floor when in restricted ‘parc ferme’ conditions, which would be in breach of the sport’s regulations.
While confirming the existence of the device, Red Bull insisted it could not be used for anything untoward as it was not accessible to use when the car was fully assembled.
Before Red Bull commented, the FIA earlier said it had “not received any indication of any team employing such a system,” but that the use of such a device would be against the rules.
“It’s one thing having it on your car, it’s another thing on how much you exploit it and use it, which we have no idea on,” said Norris, who trails Verstappen by 52 points at the top of the drivers’ standings with six rounds of the 2024 season remaining.
“If it has been helping them, if they have been utilising it in a way people think they have, maybe it will shift in our direction.
“But, when you talk about things like that, they won’t have got several pole positions or wins because of that device.
“I don’t think it will change anything in the scheme of things. Maybe at certain qualifying sessions, when it has been split by hundredths or thousandths, you might say, ‘OK, maybe this has helped in this direction or that direction.'”
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Lando Norris says McLaren has more confidence coming to the USA GP compared to how they were in Singapore.
The controversy follows McLaren being asked by the FIA to alter a ‘mini-DRS’ rear wing device on their car after last month’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Norris went on to claim a dominant victory in Singapore the following week.
Norris added: “I think it’s good the FIA are doing such a thing.
“There’s a difference between black and white stuff like this, then a difference between F1 and pushing the boundaries and creating new things, innovating within the space you are allowed to innovate.
“That’s what we as McLaren have done a good job in, but we have sure not gone any further than that.”
Verstappen: Device has no impact on performance
Both Verstappen and his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez insisted that the device has not offered any benefit due to it being unavailable for use once the car is fully assembled, echoing the team’s claims in their earlier statement.
In a statement released earlier on Thursday, a Red Bull spokesperson said: “Yes, [it] exists, although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run.
“In the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward.”
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Max Verstappen says he’s not concerned Red Bull have had to make a change to their car over a ride-height device ban ahead of this weekend’s United States GP.
The FIA had earlier said that it would implement “procedural adjustments to ensure that front bib clearance cannot be easily modified” at this weekend’s Sprint event in Austin.
Details of the Red Bull design feature were available to other teams on FIA servers under regulations revolving around open-source parts.
Asked about the reaction within the team to the situation, Verstappen said: “Nothing. I mean, it’s open source, right? Everyone can see it.
“For us, it was just an easy tool when the parts were off that 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…
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Lewis Hamilton believes the rules need to be better policed after Red Bull confirmed they have a controversial ride height-adjusting device on their car.
“When I read it, I was thinking about ‘are there other teams doing it?’ And then I found out it was related to our team. We never even mentioned it in the briefings, so it’s just an easier tool to adjust stuff.”
Asked whether the device has had any impact on performance, Verstappen replied: “No.”
Perez added: “There’s nothing that we were doing with it. We actually never talked about it. It was impossible.
“I knew it existed, but it was not available to us.”
Norris confident as Verstappen hopes for upgrades impact
The controversy has only added to the intensity surrounding the resumption of the title battle, with there having been a near month-long pause for tension to build since Norris’ superb victory in Singapore last time out.
Ominously for Red Bull and the rest of the field, Norris says his expectations for McLaren are higher than they were at the Marina Bay Circuit.
“Probably more (confident),” the Brit said. “If you look at where we were last year here, relative with the car we had compared to Singapore, I think this was a better weekend for us.
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Jenson Button tells us which car he would want to drive at the beginning and end of the 2024 season between the McLaren and the Red Bull.
“We led the first half of the race. It was a good weekend. Some things have changed on this track with new surfaces, so there are always questions to answer.
“With how we performed last year in the last three, four, five races, we are confident we can be towards the top.”
Verstappen is hopeful of Red Bull being able to pose a greater challenge to McLaren than in Singapore, where Norris won by more than 20 seconds, but admits he doesn’t expect upgrades to the RB20 to “completely swing” the recent pecking order.
The Dutchman said: “If you look at the pace difference in Singapore, for sure not (the upgrades are not enough to catch McLaren).
“But every track is different. We know that Singapore is not our strongest track anyway. But I don’t expect that suddenly it’s going to be completely different, and we are going to be the dominating car.
“We’ve had our limitations a bit already with this car the whole year, now we’re trying to make it better. But I don’t expect it to completely swing.”
Sky Sports F1’s live United States GP schedule
Friday October 18
6pm: United States GP Practice One (session starts at 6.30pm*)
8.30pm: Team Principals’ Press Conference
10pm: United States GP Sprint Qualifying (qualifying starts at 10.30pm*)
Saturday October 19
6pm: United States GP Sprint build-up
7pm: United States GP Sprint
8.30pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook
10pm: United States GP Qualifying build-up*
11pm: United States GP Qualifying*
(Sunday) 1am: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments to have taken place at the United States Grand Prix.
Sunday October 20
6.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: United States GP build-up*
8pm: THE UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX*
10pm: Chequered Flag: United States GP reaction
11pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event (Sunday’s race build-up from 7.15pm)
Just six races remain in Formula 1 2024 and the season resumes with a Sprint weekend at the United States Grand Prix in Austin from this Friday, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime
