The FIA’s decision to ban Red Bull’s “special” floor ahead of the United States Grand Prix has become the most talked-about topic of the Austin weekend. It’s interesting to see how fans believe the Milton Keynes team should be disqualified or punished for “cheating,” when in reality, they were operating on the edge of the technical regulations, much like McLaren did with its flexible wing. The FIA, in order to avoid further confusion like in Singapore, decided to shut down any doubts early on. On the contrary, many of the drivers have only praised the World Champions’ ingenuity. After all, Formula 1 is all about pushing innovation to the limit, driving engineering to the edge of what’s allowed. Every team, to varying degrees, has these tricks, and no one wins a championship without taking some risks.
A striking example is Lewis Hamilton’s comment in defense of his rivals. The Briton, one of those who has most felt the impact of the hypothetical tenths of a second gained by Red Bull, did not criticize the RB20’s design. “Our sport is based on innovation. Red Bull innovated, and they were ahead of everyone. In the end, all teams read the regulations to look for gray areas and develop solutions from there. They did a better job in that regard. I don’t know how long they’ve had it, or if they won any championships with it. Maybe they’ll stop now, though I don’t think that’s why they were winning. The rest of the grid, including us, needs to be innovative instead of copying others’ solutions.” – the future Ferrari driver explained during the press conference for the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin.
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