Red Bull: the secret F1 deal with FIA will remain undisclosed. But why?. Red Bull, a long-standing team in F1, has always pushed the boundaries of the technical regulations.

Red Bull, a long-standing team in F1, has always pushed the boundaries of the technical regulations. Their approach is meticulously calculated to maximize any possible advantage. On more than one occasion, the Milton Keynes team has “violated” the spirit of the rules, taking advantage of loopholes and grey areas without actually breaking the regulations. To fully understand FIA documents, you almost need to be a lawyer, and in this regard, the reigning world champions have always been exceptional.

Now to the present. Red Bull has a technical system that allows them to adjust the ride height of their car. This mechanism has been confirmed by team members, who, in order to cover themselves, emphasized one point: the system becomes inaccessible when the car is fully assembled. This is meant to underline that it cannot be used to gain a clear advantage in adjusting the car’s ride height when necessary. But this raises a natural question: what is the point of having a system like this if it can’t be used?

Let’s clarify: why invest time, money, and energy into equipping a car with a device that can modify the ride height differently from others? After all, when the car is in the garage during free practice, all mechanics take just a few minutes to make such adjustments. But what if this device was designed to speed up that process? Can Red Bull scientifically prove they haven’t used it in past races when it could have been useful? These questions are likely troubling for both us and the FIA.

It seems that this system could be activated via a command inside the cockpit. This adjustment wouldn’t show up on the steering wheel’s dashboard but, with a simple click and some mechanic work, could effectively change the car’s ride height in a short amount of time. This feature was “known” because, as per regulations, Red Bull was required to disclose all details of the component’s design to the FIA. The information was uploaded to the FIA servers and thus accessible to the regulatory body. At least, that’s what the rumors suggest.

F1, Red Bull strikes a deal with the FIA
What sounds particularly odd, however, is the future outlook. After a lengthy conversation with the FIA delegates, the team fighting to retain its F1 World Champion title will now follow a plan agreed upon with the regulatory body. But this raises many questions. What does it mean to “agree on a plan”? Is it perhaps to allow the FIA to ensure that the two RB20 cars aren’t using this system, a move meant to reassure engineers led by Nicholas Tombazis?

Or does it mean that for the remaining six races of the Formula 1 season, Red Bull must adhere to rules they previously bent? A kind of “slap on the wrist” from the FIA, with the understanding that they shouldn’t get caught with their hand in the cookie jar again? Who knows… Beyond all the speculation, the real truth of what happened will likely remain a mystery. This is because the FIA will never make the incident public, nor will the Milton Keynes team.

One thing is certain, though: following complaints from other F1 teams participating in this season regarding a potential advantage Red Bull may have exploited, the FIA has decided to introduce new procedures to keep the situation under control. The fact that the FIA wants to thoroughly investigate this, even going so far as to change their work plan during a race weekend, underscores the low level of trust they currently have in the Austrian team. This seems to be the most logical interpretation.

F1, flexible wings under scrutiny
It’s not just Red Bull causing headaches for the FIA. The issue of wing aeroelasticity remains a hot topic. During the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, we reported on a story that has now been confirmed. This refers to stricter checks on wing flexing. It’s well known that during a race, a Formula 1 car’s wing can change its static position to gain aerodynamic advantages. This has been a common practice for some time, yet it still seems to evade the FIA’s grasp.

From the 2024 United States Grand Prix onwards, the sensors placed on aerodynamic components that can flex have nearly doubled, and small cameras have been added to record everything. Even McLaren has struck a deal with the FIA, and, in theory, according to Zak Brown, despite nothing illegal being found on the rear wing of the MCL38, the team led by Andrea Stella has decided not to use the controversial feature labeled as the “mini DRS” anymore. Another chapter in this F1 saga, where clarity seems to be something we will never truly get.