Lando Norris says the Red Bull device relating to front bib clearance is a “black and white” matter that the FIA is right to address, but doubts whether it will have a major impact on the title race.
Red Bull has admitted it is the focus of an FIA clampdown because it has a device on its car that would allow it to adjust the clearance of the front bib – the front section of the floor. While Red Bull states “it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run,” such a device would theoretically allow a team to make changes between qualifying and the race undetected, in breach of parc ferme regulations.
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As he looks to close Max Verstappen’s 52-point championship advantage, Norris says the focus from the FIA could play into McLaren’s hands, but he doubts it will have been a major performance differentiator if it was ever used in the past.
“It’s one thing having having it on your car, it’s another thing on how much you exploit it and use it, which we have no idea on,” Norris said. “So, if it has been helping them, if they’ve been utilizing it in a 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 position or wins just because of such a device.
“So 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 hundredths of a second in qualifying, or even thousandths, then you might say, ‘OK, well, maybe this has helped in that direction or this direction.’
“But 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. And 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.”
Teammate Oscar Piastri was unaware that Red Bull had admitted to having such a device, but says his understanding is that using it would be completely against the rules.
“We’re obviously pushing the boundaries of the technical regulations,” Piastri said. “Everyone is, 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.
“So I haven’t heard which car it’s on or if it’s on any car – 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 gray area and into the black area.”