Red Bull makes front bib admission, claims agreement was in place with FIA

Red Bull F1 admitted that the RB20 did have a device to adjust the front bib height after the FIA's ruling ahead of the 2024 US Grand Prix this weekend. There were reports leading up to the weekend that the sport's governing body had found a device on one of the teams and was imposing a ruling against using it.

Leading up to the weekend, some of the teams expressed concerns about the device as it could help the team adjust the ride height of the car during parc ferme between qualifying and the race. As the race approached, it became clear that it was Red Bull that were the team in question after its rivals alerted the FIA of the device.

Ahead of the race at the Circuit of the Americas, Red Bull admitted to having the device on the car as their spokesperson revealed (via Motorsport.com):

"Yes, it exists although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run. In the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed on a plan going forward."

The teams cannot make any radical changes, like changing major components and adjusting the ride height of their cars after the parc ferme gets closed post-FP3. However, the Austrian team have denied using the device when the car gets assembled.

Max Verstappen gives his take on Red Bull being found guilty of using an illegal device

Speaking to the media, three-time world champion Max Verstappen too wasn't fused after FIA's clampdown on one of the RB20's components and reflected:

“I mean, it’s open source, right? Everyone can see it. For us, it was just an easy tool when the parts were off. We know that it was easy to adjust, but once the whole car is built together, you can’t touch it.

“So for us, it doesn’t change. When I read about it, I was thinking about other teams doing it, and then I found out it was related to our team. We never even mentioned it in the briefing, so it’s just an easier tool to adjust stuff.” he said.

McLaren driver Lando Norris stated he too believed Red Bull would not have gained a competitive edge with it. He told the media in the pre-race press conference:

"I mean, when you talk about things like that, it's not going to gain them… They're not going to have several pole positions or wins just because of such a device. I don't think it really will change anything in the scheme of things."

Red Bull have been playing second-best to McLaren ever since the summer break and has even lost the lead in the Constructors Championship as they now trail them by 41 points with six races and three Sprints remaining.