Amid the ongoing scrutiny of Red Bull Racing’s potential breach of parc ferme regulations, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has called for more transparency and a further investigation into the situation.
Allegations surfaced against Red Bull Racing concerning the use of a front bib adjuster ahead of the Austin Grand Prix weekend. This component could allow for adjustments to the car’s front bib height during parc ferme, when alterations to the cars are strictly prohibited.
Whilst speaking to the media at the Circuit of the Americas, Brown explained:
“I’m very happy to see the FIA is on it.
“I think it needs to be a very thorough investigation because if you touch your car from a performance standpoint in parc ferme, that is a black and white material, substantial breach – which should come with massive consequences.
“Touching your car after parc ferme is highly illegal within the rules. So I think the FIA needs to get to the bottom of: were they, weren’t they?”
Red Bull, however, insists on their compliance with FIA regulations. According to a spokesperson from the Milton Keynes-based squad:
“Yes, it exists, although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to drive. In the many correspondences we have with the FIA, this component has been discussed and we have agreed on a plan for the future.”
Touching on the statement, Zak Brown added:
“Touching your car after parc ferme is highly illegal within the rules. So I think the FIA needs to get to the bottom of: were they, weren’t they?
“When you see cleverly worded comments like you can’t do it when it’s fully assembled…I know the car isn’t always fully assembled. And then the FIA feels they need to put a seal on it. Why would the FIA need to put a seal on something if it wasn’t accessible?
“Transparency is critically important in today’s day and age. So I still have questions. I know from talking to other team bosses, they still have questions. So until those questions are answered, I think it is still an ongoing investigation to bottom out, you know: what do we know?
“I’d like some more answers before I’m prepared to kind of go: ‘Right, I guess they were or they weren’t.’ But I think the FIA will bottom it out.”
Brown concluded:
“Why would you design it to be inside the car, when the nine other teams haven’t?
“It’d be unfair of me to say [they were cheating], of course. I have an opinion on whether I think they have or haven’t, but I think the FIA needs to be very diligent in their bottoming out whether they think they [Red Bull] have or haven’t.”
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