Zak Brown demands Red Bull ‘sign an affidavit’ after Bibgate paddock tip-off

Zak Brown has called for Red Bull’s management, as well as mechanics past and present, to sign an affidavit stating Red Bull never used the car’s bib trick under parc ferme conditions.

The McLaren chief wants a penalty that would be a deterrent, such as an exclusion, should it come to light that Red Bull did break parc ferme rules.

Zak Brown wants a signed affidavit from Red Bull

Arriving in Austin, a report claimed one unnamed team has a hidden trick that allowed them to adjust the height of the bib, or T-tray, and that it could be used in parc ferme between qualifying and the races.

Red Bull admitted the RB20 was fitted with such a device but insisted it was “inaccessible once the car is fully assembled”. They even gave the FIA a demonstration to show this.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner blamed “paranoia” and “moaning from one of our rivals” for making a big deal out of what he felt was a non-story.

“I feel that it’s sometimes to distract from perhaps what’s going on in your own house, sometimes you try and light a fire somewhere else,” he added.

However, Red Bull’s rivals aren’t willing to let it go.

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“I’d like to see the senior leadership, the former chief mechanics and the current mechanics sign an affidavit stating that they have never used or have no knowledge of it being used,” the McLaren CEO told the Daily Mail.

“The suggestion in the pit lane from a handful of people is that it has been used in that manner, so the only way to bottom it out is the old-fashioned ‘sign here’, stating what has gone on.

“I know if I was presented with an affidavit and the consequences of not telling the truth were severe, I’d tell the truth.

“I am confident the matter is dealt with going forward. But if they have done it in the past, there is no grey area about it. Modifying your car in parc ferme is as clear a breach of the regulations as possible.”

Zak Brown suggests ‘exclusion’ as deterrent

The report claims Brown will meet with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to discuss the matter as he’s not sold on Red Bull’s “inaccessible” reasoning.

“Look at the wording of their denial about the device being inaccessible when the car is prepared to go racing,” he added.

“Well, the car isn’t fully prepared to go racing in parc ferme. Many things can be changed. You can pull the seat out, you can adjust the pedals.”

Should it ever come to light that Red Bull had broken parc ferme regulations, the American believes something like exclusion would be a fitting penalty.

“It needs to be a deterrent,” he said. “We have seen drivers excluded from races and championships.

“And I am not saying Max should be excluded, by the way. We have seen teams excluded from races and championships.

“If, and I say “if”, parc ferme rules have been broken, the penalty needs to be of that magnitude, depending on whether they did it once or have been doing it regularly for three years. There must be consequences.”

Red Bull outscored McLaren for the first time since Spain at the United States Grand Prix, the Woking team’s lead in the Constructors’ Championship down to 40 points.

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