The Austin paddock is literally heating up following Red Bull’s revelation about the T-Tray case, a possible—but so far unproven—system that could allow for adjustments to the car’s setup between qualifying and the race, thus violating the Parc Fermé rules.
While rival teams and drivers have raised eyebrows, pushing the FIA for further clarifications, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have downplayed the issue, admitting they are aware of the system. Both drivers denied its use between qualifying and the race, effectively confirming the team’s version presented yesterday evening.
No advantage according to Max
“The technical documentation on the system is open source, so all the teams were aware of it because it was submitted to the FIA,” Max Verstappen stated. “For us, it was just a useful tool when the car was disassembled and easy to adjust, but once the entire car is assembled, it cannot be adjusted. So it doesn’t change anything for us.”
“When I first heard about the matter, I thought other teams were involved, but then I found out it was related to us. However, we never even mentioned it during the briefings,” the reigning champion added.
Sergio Perez knew about the system but denies its use in the race
“I was aware of the existence of this system, but not of its use between qualifying and the race,” Sergio Perez commented directly. “We didn’t do anything, and we never talked about it. For example, during a Sprint weekend, we had to adopt a ride height close to the moon to avoid being disqualified (for wear on the skid, ed.), as had happened in the past with Mercedes.” – the Mexican driver pointed out.
“I believe it’s up to the FIA to draw the line between what is legal and illegal. They are the ones who oversee our sport, and the final word is theirs.” – Sergio Perez concluded ahead of the United States Grand Prix.
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