Indeed but apparently not adjustable from the cockpit so no ability to change their car's ride height via the 'bib' at the front of the floor when under restricted 'parc ferme' conditions between qualifying and the race.
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Poll: Official 2024 United States Grand Prix Race Thread - Circuit of the Americas - Race 19/24
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Soldato
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I don't see why he wouldn't. It's his one opportunity.
What is unravelling?
This particular "revelation" should have no bearing on performance.
Essentially it sounds like it's just a quicker way of adjusting it, rather than it being fixed with more conventional screws or fixings that take longer to adjust.
It was "revealed" though "open-source" documents that are provided to the FIA that other teams are allowed to scrutinize from what I can gather
8 key questions answered about Red Bull car controversy at US Grand Prix
Explaining everything we know about Red Bull 'bib' furore in Texas
www.crash.net
All teams have the ability to adjust the front bib and hence the ride height which massively affects performance in this ground effect era. Ideally, cars would run it much lower during quali because they don't carry as much fuel weight for obvious performance benefits. Then ideally for the race, they would raise it up a bit to compensate for the extra fuel load to minimize plank wear being too high and possible porpoising.
However, they can't do this. Between the end of quali and into the race (parc ferme conditions) the car is meant to be kept at the same setup. Even if the team have to do a major repair or swap say the gearbox, the ride height has to stay the same. How the FIA police this I don't know.
From what I can understand, the controversy around Redbull is that they have a system in place where the bib adjustment can be made from inside the cockpit, possibly by turning a screw in the floor from above. Other teams I think, have to do it from underneath and is a more complex procedure having to disassemble more parts. Now, people's minds turn to the thought of how easy it would be for Redbull to breach parc ferme conditions by adjusting this after quali and before the race, fairly easily, quickly and undetected. However, the Redbull statement quickly addresses this:
A senior team representative said: "Yes it exists although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run."
and
"In the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward."
Although they say it is inaccessible once the car is setup and ready to run, this might just mean once Max/Sergio is sat in the car it would not be easy to adjust. In any case, even if the screw/adjustment method was literally on the steering wheel, proof is still going to be required to call out that this has been happening. This is surely not going to be achievable just through looking at photographs and video footage to calculate ride height. That's not going to be accurate/fair enough.
It leaves a sour taste in particular this one because where with flexi wings there is controversy over the legality of a part, that part is the same throughout the weekend. To have adjusted things during parc ferme is a massive breach and unfair advantage. With the history of Redbull, many people will have already decided in their mind that they have been exploiting this for years.
EDIT: I believe Redbull are the only team to have this setup to allow for easier adjustment of the bib.
However, they can't do this. Between the end of quali and into the race (parc ferme conditions) the car is meant to be kept at the same setup. Even if the team have to do a major repair or swap say the gearbox, the ride height has to stay the same. How the FIA police this I don't know.
From what I can understand, the controversy around Redbull is that they have a system in place where the bib adjustment can be made from inside the cockpit, possibly by turning a screw in the floor from above. Other teams I think, have to do it from underneath and is a more complex procedure having to disassemble more parts. Now, people's minds turn to the thought of how easy it would be for Redbull to breach parc ferme conditions by adjusting this after quali and before the race, fairly easily, quickly and undetected. However, the Redbull statement quickly addresses this:
A senior team representative said: "Yes it exists although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run."
and
"In the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward."
Although they say it is inaccessible once the car is setup and ready to run, this might just mean once Max/Sergio is sat in the car it would not be easy to adjust. In any case, even if the screw/adjustment method was literally on the steering wheel, proof is still going to be required to call out that this has been happening. This is surely not going to be achievable just through looking at photographs and video footage to calculate ride height. That's not going to be accurate/fair enough.
It leaves a sour taste in particular this one because where with flexi wings there is controversy over the legality of a part, that part is the same throughout the weekend. To have adjusted things during parc ferme is a massive breach and unfair advantage. With the history of Redbull, many people will have already decided in their mind that they have been exploiting this for years.
EDIT: I believe Redbull are the only team to have this setup to allow for easier adjustment of the bib.
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It has been pointed out that the adjustment to the 'bib' by Red Bull could only be performed by dismantling components within the cockpit which, under parc ferme conditions, would have made it apparent to the FIA scrutineers and other teams.
No such observation has been reported and all Red Bull have had to do is demonstrate the adjustment mechanism is correctly sealed off.
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I was hoping for a nice big stinky controversy but it all seems like a nothing burger.
Yeah does seem that way.
What looks bad is that Redbull seem to be the only team that feature this method of adjusting the "bib". It is fairly obviously done in such a way for a benefit. That benefit is to make it quicker and easier to make changes to ride height during practice sessions. But this completely contradicts the statement that several components would need to be removed making it hard to conceal. So they are having their cake and eating it. It would be impossible to conceal they say, and yet they have the system in place for easier adjustment. So it must be to some degree easier than other teams to both adjust and therefore conceal.
Let's remember who we are talking about here, and their previous form.
Let's remember who we are talking about here, and their previous form.
I was hoping for a nice big stinky controversy but it all seems like a nothing burger.
I agree a nothing burger, but only because any prior breaches are not going to be able to be proved.
Soldato
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I'd just sleep tbh. The YT highlights is enough to cover a quali session IMO
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Piastri missed the pit entrance and had to abort almost faceplanting the pit wall and coming back on track
If he has another poor weekend surely his appointment must become untenable.
I can't help but think he's lost his edge, he's just switched off, which is really bizarre.
Laughs in Christian Horner
Homer showing some real talent with his hands.
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