Lando Norris shrugs off Red Bull ‘trick’ of the trade at US Grand Prix

AUSTIN – McLaren’s Lando Norris said he felt calm and confident on Oct 17 ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, and did not expect rivals Red Bull to lose performance after making requested car alterations.

The reigning champions admitted they had made changes after talks with the sport’s ruling body the International Motoring Federation (FIA), widely reported to have concerned a “trick” mechanism to control the ride height of their cars.

Red Bull have denied making use of the device.

“It’s one thing having it on your car and a second if you’re using it,” said Norris, who is 52 points behind Red Bull’s three-time world champion Max Verstappen with six races remaining. Verstappen will be seeking to end a run of eight races without a victory at the Oct 20 contest at the Circuit of the Americas.

“So, if it has been helping them, if they’ve been utilising it in the way people think they have, then maybe it will shift in our direction,” added Norris. “But when you talk about things like that, they’re not going to have got several pole positions or wins just because of such a device.

“So I don’t think it will really change anything in the scheme of things – maybe at certain qualifying when it’s been split by hundredths of a second or even thousandths. Then you might say, ‘OK, well, maybe this has helped in that direction or this direction’.”

The story was a hot topic in the Austin paddock, with many observers suggesting that the issue was that a device may have been used to change a car’s ride height in the parc ferme between qualifying and the race.

“While we have not received any indication of any team employing such a system, the FIA remains vigilant in our ongoing efforts to enhance the policing of the sport,” the ruling body said in a statement.

Teams are not allowed to make set-up changes between qualifying and the race.

A Red Bull representative said: “Yes, it exists, although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run. In the correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward.”

On his prospects this weekend as F1 goes into a triple-header of races in Texas, Mexico and Brazil, Norris said: “Our expectations now, and actually for a while, have been that we’re a top team and we’re fighting for wins and we’re fighting for a constructors’ championship and a drivers’ championship.

“So just as much as it can go wrong, it can also go well, like it has done for us. We’re fighting against the best of the best and it’s been a fun year.

“I think no matter what, it’s still been a successful season.”

Verstappen made it clear he was unconcerned over the issue.

“Let’s see how the upgrades go,” he said, referring to a package aimed at boosting his and the team’s performance for the run-in to the championship season, in which they trail rivals McLaren in the constructors’ title race by 41 points.

“I’m not worried about anything and I just want to go out and have fun and do the best I can to do in the race. There’s a lot of changes, including the track too, so let’s see how it goes.”

In changes off the track, F1 is scrapping from 2025 the award of a bonus point for fastest lap in a race, introduced with much fanfare just five years ago, the FIA said on Oct 17.

The bonus point was awarded originally in the 1950s, but then dropped before being reintroduced in 2019, if the driver finishes in the top 10.

It has potential significance in a long season of 24 races, such as the 2024 season.

The FIA made the announcement ahead of the Austin race, among changes to the 2024 and 2025 sporting and technical regulations, after approval by the World Motor Sport Council.

The significance of the fastest lap was shown at September’s Singapore Grand Prix, where RB’s Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo pitted for new tyres to set the fastest lap in his final race.

RB are a sister team to Red Bull and thereby deprived rivals like Norris a possible additional point. AFP