Martin Brundle reveals rivals’ Red Bull ‘suspicions’ in ‘two ways of winning’ verdict

Martin Brundle says there’s “no smoking gun” to Red Bull’s bib trick, that’s part of F1 innovation, it’s if they maybe used it in parc ferme conditions that’s the only issue but there is “no proof” of that.

Red Bull’s ride height trick made headlines at the United States Grand Prix with rivals up in arms after suggestions it could be used between qualifying and the Grands Prix.

Smoking gun or innovation? Martin Brundle weighs in on Red Bull’s bib trick

The RB20 features a system that allows Red Bull to change the height of the bib, or T-Tray, which affects the airflow underneath the car. This, if done under parc ferme conditions, would be a breach of the sport’s regulations.

There is, however, no evidence that Red Bull broke the rules.

Confirming to PlanetF1.com that the system did “exist”, a senior team representative explained that it “is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run.”

Red Bull’s rivals, led by Zak Brown, weren’t sold on the explanation as he questioned the wording of that.

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

But according to Red Bull team boss Christian Horner it’s more complicated than simply pulling a lever, “you’ve got to have the pedals out, other panels and pipework out in order to get to it.”

More on Red Bull’s adjustable bib

?Front bib and T-tray explained: The F1 car part under suspicion in new tech row

?Details emerge on how Red Bull’s bib height adjustment is operated

Former F1 driver Brundle says although changing the ride height would give a team a huge advantage, he does not believe this is a “smoking gun”, just innovation.

“There’s no smoking gun on the fact that this device has been used,” he told Sky F1. “What’s absolutely clear is it’s there, and this adjustment is unusual in the Red Bull.

“Now in Formula One the regulators, the FIA, make rules, they keep tightening them up, tightening up technically to stop the teams creating incredible machines, and it’s the teams’ job to get around that.

“Famous examples of that would be the F duct that was clever but legal. Double diffuser in 2009, clever but legal. And these sort of grey areas in the margin where they look for the advantages we love that, that’s innovation in Formula One.

“If you cross that line, if they are adjusting the ride height of the bib T-Tray in parc ferme, that’s illegal. You can’t do that. So that’s beyond the grey area of a little bit cheeky.”

Although Red Bull’s bib trick first made headlines in the build-up to Austin, Horner says it’s been around for a while and it has been in the public domain.

“It’s on a list of the open-source components, so it’s been publicly available for the last three years,” explained the team boss.

It begs the question, why is it only making headlines now?

“I think they’ve probably been looking at it a while,” Brundle said. “I think McLaren and other teams are suspicious of it.

“But that’s the nature of our business. You’ve got two ways of winning, one is to go faster, and the other is to slow your rivals down. That’s just normal business in this 400 metres of tarmac that we live in.

“So it’s normal fare in Formula One to try to do that but let’s reiterate there is no proof that Red Bull have been using that to competitive advantage outside the regulation. There is no smoking gun.

“But this is a big deal on these ground-effect cars that came in in 2022. If you can run it a little bit lower all weekend, got a big advantage. So that’s what we’re looking at.”

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