The FIA has announced it cannot definitively prove whether Red Bull Racing gained a competitive edge during the 2024 Formula 1 season by allegedly using a front bib device to alter the ride height of its RB20 car. This comes after weeks of speculation that Red Bull may have exploited a loophole in the regulations, which could have provided them with an illegal advantage.
Concerns emerged after rivals, particularly McLaren, raised alarms that Red Bull might have been manipulating the ride height of the RB20 during parc fermé conditions—something that would violate F1 rules. If Red Bull had done so, it could have enabled them to optimize the car’s aerodynamics for both qualifying and the race, potentially giving them an edge over their competitors.
The FIA sent technical delegates into Red Bull’s garage during the United States Grand Prix in Austin for a thorough inspection. However, after extensive checks, FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis confirmed that they found no conclusive evidence to prove any wrongdoing by Red Bull.
“We’ve done all that’s needed to stop there being any accusations,” said Tombazis in an interview with Sky Sports. “I think it’s certainly not a story from now on. We’ve taken measures to ensure nothing like this can be questioned moving forward.”
Tombazis admitted that while Red Bull’s system may have given them a marginal advantage, the potential gains were so small—measured in millimeters—that it was nearly impossible to verify if it had any significant impact. “We’re really talking about very small numbers. I don’t think it’s something that we could go and check. We don’t have any proof of something untoward happening.”
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner welcomed the FIA’s findings and emphasized that the team has always operated within the rules. “It was a conversation that we had with the FIA in Singapore, and they’ve looked at it and they’re more than happy with it,” Horner said.
Horner also took the opportunity to highlight the intense scrutiny Red Bull has faced, particularly given their dominance since the introduction of ground-effect cars in 2022. “Our car has come under more scrutiny in the last three years than any other car in the pit lane. We’re totally comfortable,” he added.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, who had called for a full investigation into the matter, remains skeptical. Brown expressed concerns that Red Bull may have gained a greater advantage than originally believed, but has so far accepted the FIA’s conclusions. On the other hand, Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur said he trusts the FIA’s findings, though he made it clear that if Red Bull were proven to have violated parc fermé rules, it would be a blatant case of cheating.
“If they used it [in parc fermé], it’s clearly cheating. It’s not a grey area or whatever,” Vasseur said. “But we have to trust the FIA and let’s see.”
While this controversy has now been classified as a “non-story” by the FIA, it has reignited the ongoing debate about the limits of innovation in Formula 1 and the role of technical regulation in maintaining fairness. For now, Red Bull emerges from the investigation unscathed, but as the championship fight tightens in the remaining races, the scrutiny on every team’s tactics will only intensify.
