McLaren warn of ‘massive consequences’ if Red Bull broke Formula One rules

AUSTIN – McLaren boss Zak Brown warned on Oct 18 of “massive consequences” if champions Red Bull were found to have breached Formula One rules on adjusting car set-ups during closed parc ferme conditions.

Red Bull have confirmed the presence of a ride-height device in their cars but said it could not be accessed once the cars were fully assembled.

The team have agreed to make changes after discussions with the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA), with the device likely to have seals attached to it.

Brown said at the United States Grand Prix there were still questions to answer.

He said Red Bull’s statement was carefully worded, with cars not always “fully assembled” in parc ferme conditions and particularly when issues of driver comfort needed to be addressed.

“What doesn’t quite stack up is the comment that you can’t modify it,” he told Sky Sports. “If it’s not accessible post or during parc ferme, then why put a seal on it?

“I think it needs to be a very thorough investigation because if you touch your car from a performance standpoint after parc ferme or in parc ferme, that is a black-and-white material, substantial breach which comes with massive consequences.”

“I think I’m not alone in our concerns for what we have seen and heard,” he added.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner said he detected “paranoia”, adding that his team were “totally comfortable” with the governing body probing the device that has become a hot talking point.

McLaren and Red Bull are fighting for both the constructors’ and drivers’ championships, with Brown’s team leading the constructors’ standings by 41 points and Horner’s ahead in the drivers’ standings, with Max Verstappen 52 points clear of Lando Norris.

Verstappen qualified on pole for the Oct 19 sprint race in Austin, which took place after press time.

It was the first time since the Austrian Grand Prix in June that the three-time world champion had secured any kind of pole position.

There have been suggestions from some teams that such a device might allow the car’s ride height to be adjusted between qualifying and the race, which would produce an illegal advantage in performance.

“I think there has been a bit of moaning from one of our rivals, and it is the FIA’s job to look into these things,” Horner told Sky Sports.

“I think it’s just to satisfy some paranoia elsewhere in the paddock. If you think that there’s some kind of handbrake or lever that the drivers can activate with a low, medium or high setting, I’m really sorry to disappoint you.”

McLaren’s Brown accepted that drivers would physically be unable to adjust the ride height from within the cockpit.

“Our questions are a bit more around what has maybe historically happened in understanding if it’s been used in an inappropriate manner,” he said.

Red Bull have won the last two constructors’ championships and the last three drivers’ titles with Verstappen.

McLaren were in the spotlight at the last race in Singapore where questions were raised about their rear wing. 

Meanwhile, Brown also accused Red Bull motor sports consultant Helmut Marko of poor taste and setting F1 back decades for comments about the mental resilience of title contender Norris.

Marko, 81, told Motorsport-Magazin that Red Bull “know Norris has some mental weaknesses. I’ve read about some of the rituals he needs to do to perform well on race day”.

Norris, 24, has been an outspoken campaigner for mental health.

“I read Helmut’s comments, which I thought were disappointing but not surprising. Lando has been kind of an ambassador for mental health,” said Brown.

“(Mercedes boss) Toto (Wolff) has spoken about mental health, so I think it’s a serious issue we’ve tried to talk about to bring to the forefront and make it okay to talk about,” added the American.

“Poking at that situation, I think is pretty inappropriate and kind of sets us back 10, 20 years.

“But you know, it’s all fun and games in how some people go racing and what tactics they use from a sporting perspective, but I thought that one was in pretty poor taste.” REUTERS, AFP