McLaren’s Oscar Piastri offered his candid view on Red Bull’s ride height adjustment device, insisting such a system used in parc fermé would clearly constitute a breach of F1’s technical regulations.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit is under close scrutiny by the FIA and its rivals following the team’s confirmation of the existence of a front bib clearance adjustment tool on its RB20 car.
There has been no evidence that Red Bull has exploited the device under parc fermé conditions, specifically for the purpose of modifying its car’s ride height between qualifying and the race.
However, suspicions linger, and the governing body has ramped up its control procedures to ensure that there are no breach of the rules by Red Bull or any other team at this weekend’s US Grand Prix in Austin.
Still, the matter has drawn a lot of attention from rival teams, especially McLaren, as their championship battle with Red Bull intensifies.
Oscar Piastri was direct in his assessment, stating that if any team were using such a device under parc fermé conditions, it would be a clear violation of the rules.
“We're obviously pushing the boundaries of the technical regulations,” said the two-time Grand Prix winner. “Everyone is, and 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!
“I haven't heard which car it's on, or if it's on any car, and obviously there's the reports of it. But 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 a black area.”
The timing of this controversy coincides with a critical juncture in the 2024 season, as McLaren and Red Bull are engaged in an increasingly close fight for both the Constructors' and Drivers' Championships.
Given the stakes, Piastri hinted that noticeable changes in Red Bull's performance would inevitably raise eyebrows. The Aussie also drew a parallel between the controversy and McLaren’s own recent experience with scrutiny over its mini-DRS rear wing concept.
“If there's a big difference in performance, then clearly there'll be some questions,” he said. “If it's not…well, you don't know.
“Our mini-DRS was legal. Even though we've had to make some changes, it's not revolutionary for the car. We'll see if it makes any impact.”
Lando Norris, who currently sits second in the Drivers’ standings, also shared his views on the burning topic but took a slightly more tempered approach.
“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,” he said.
“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,” the Briton added.
“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 hundreds of a second in qualifying or even thousandths, then you might say, 'okay, well, maybe this has helped in that direction or this direction'.”
Norris concluded by pointing out that McLaren has always been careful to stay within the legal framework of the sport, even as they have sought to innovate.
“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 Formula 1 and pushing the boundaries and creating new things, and innovating within the space that you're allowed to innovate.
“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.”
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