Explained: Why Red Bull’s adjustable bib isn’t being punished by the FIA

Red Bull’s admission that it is the team running a ride height adjustment device on its car isn’t likely to trigger any sort of FIA punishment.

In the days leading up to the United States Grand Prix, reports emerged that a team, in theory, could be using a ride height adjustment system on its cars which would allow for adjustment while under parc fermé conditions.

What is the bib/T-tray component at the heart of the matter?

As explained by PlanetF1.com’s Uros Radovanovic as reports of the possibility emerged, the ‘T-tray’, also referred to as the splitter, sits at the front of the car’s floor, just behind the front axle. Initially, its purpose in Formula 1 was quite straightforward – it provided a mounting point for the plank that runs almost the entire length of the floor. This plank plays a vital regulatory role.

Since the early 1980s, teams have been required to maintain a flat floor relative to the reference plane, and the plank has been key to monitoring compliance with this rule. Even today, it ensures that the car’s ride height stays within legal limits during a race. Any excessive wear on the wooden plank serves as a clear indication that the car may have been running too low.

Over time, as aerodynamics became increasingly important to the overall performance of F1 cars, the T-Tray began to serve additional, more aerodynamic purposes.

Since the 2022 rule changes and the reintroduction of ground effect, the car’s floor has become the primary source of downforce, and teams devote significant attention to optimising this area.

As the T-Tray is positioned well ahead of the car’s underfloor tunnels, its design greatly affects airflow behind it and how air enters the tunnels.

It also serves to split the airflow to the left and right, with a small percentage of air flowing beneath the plank’s lower surface. Engineers aim to use this opportunity to energise the airflow by creating vortices that later enter the underfloor tunnels.

These vortices not only help increase airflow speed beneath the car, lowering local pressure and directly boosting downforce, but also improve the efficiency of the diffuser and other rear-end aerodynamic elements.

In short, the aerodynamic efficiency of the car’s entire floor is critical to its performance on the track, and the T-Tray is the first element to influence the flow, dictating much of what happens behind it.

Why would a team seek to alter the height of the bib/T-tray?

If a team adjusted the height of the floor’s leading edge for qualifying, this would allow a team to achieve the maximum potential of its aerodynamic package.

However, with race fuel added in for the Grand Prix distance, the car would risk bottoming out, affecting aerodynamic performance significantly, as well as risk causing excessive plank wear – which would lead to disqualification.

But the ability to raise the ride height of the car after qualifying would thus allow the driver to drive as normal without any such concerns, with the car still being in an optimal ride height window for the different conditions of the race.

What rules prevent F1 teams from making any height adjustments?

Unfortunately for all the teams, the sporting regulations outline what is and isn’t permitted when it comes to parc fermé.

Parc fermé refers to the closing off of permissible changes to a car, and it comes into effect as cars leave the pitlane at the start of Q1 on Saturday. Whatever setup and configuration the car is in at this point is the setup the driver is stuck with – for qualifying, and the race.

There are certain aspects of the car that can be worked on by the teams, which are outlined in Article 40 of the 2024 F1 Sporting Regulations. Put simply, these changes are maintenance-based – brake friction materials can be refreshed, bodywork can be removed and cleaned, consumables may be refreshed, and damaged components can be replaced with a like-for-like specification under the watchful eye of the FIA.

The front wing may be adjusted too, provided no change of specification is made.

In short, no performance-related adjustments or alterations are permitted with strict explanations given as to what is allowed. What is not allowed is adjusting the height of the bib/T-tray, for whatever reason, and this is why so much attention is now being focused on Red Bull’s admission.

How has the bib/T-tray controversy emerged?

Ahead of the race at the Circuit of the Americas, Autosport reported the possibility that an unnamed team could be using a height adjustment system on their cars – in theory, whilst under parc fermé conditions.

Unsurprisingly, the rumour mill went into overdrive as to which team might be involved, with the FIA issuing a statement to outline its position on the possibility of an adjustable bib device.

A statement from the FIA to PlanetF1.com regarding the matter said: “Any adjustment to the front bib clearance during parc ferme conditions is strictly prohibited by the regulations.

“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.

“As part of this, we have implemented procedural adjustments to ensure that front bib clearance cannot be easily modified. In some cases, this may involve the application of a seal to provide further assurance of compliance.”

With confirmation from the FIA that such a possibility had caught the governing body’s attention, a report in De Telegraaf suggested that Red Bull may have such a system fitted to its RB20 – and the Milton Keynes-based squad had no qualms about revealing the existence of a bib height adjustment device on the car.

In a statement to PlanetF1.com, a senior team representative confirmed the existence of such a system, and said it has been addressed at length in conversation with the FIA.

“Yes it exists although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run,” the representative said.

“In the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward.”

While not specific to Red Bull , this plan takes the form of a request from the FIA to ensure that front bib clearance cannot be easily modified, and adjustment devices on any cars with such a system will be sealed off.

How does Red Bull’s bib height adjustment system work?

Details of how the bib height adjustment system on the RB20 operates have been reported by Australian publication Speedcafe , which reveals the adjustment is, technically, in the cockpit of the car.

The adjustment screw is within the footwell and cannot be accessed with the driver in place – the mechanism is located under the heel support.

To access it, Red Bull’s mechanics would have to remove the nose cone, a separate panel, and the carbon section within the footwell.

This would be particularly difficult to do under parc fermé conditions without attracting the attention of the FIA, nor is it work that can be carried out surreptitiously – it’s a proper dismantling of the car required to get to the adjustment mechanism.

Why Red Bull hasn’t been, and isn’t likely to be, punished

The confirmation of such a bib height adjustment system comes at a time of increasingly high tensions over technical matters in Formula 1.

Several weeks ago, McLaren’s low-downforce rear wing came under close FIA scrutiny following an enquiry from Red Bull, with the Woking team required to make changes to the wing following the discovery of a ‘mini-DRS’ effect.

McLaren hinted that it would seek to have the FIA look into aerodynamic tricks being carried out by other teams, with the FIA duly becoming allegedly aware of the theoretical possibility of a bib height adjustment system during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend.

This is understood to have come about by teams uncovering the possibility through it being spotted in open-source technical documents which all teams are required to furnish to the FIA regarding their car’s designs.

Given there’s no evidence that the system – which, in itself, isn’t in breach of the technical regulations – has been adjusted under parc fermé conditions, there are no grounds for the FIA to impose a punishment on Red Bull.

This bears a vague similarity to the infamous case of the existence of ‘Option 13’ on the Benetton B194 during the 1994 season, a hidden menu option on the car which could activate a launch control traction management system – the FIA’s investigation couldn’t prove the software had been used and, as a result, went without any further action.

What’s different in this case is that the height adjustment mechanism in itself isn’t illegal to have – and Red Bull didn’t attempt to hide the possibility of its presence, as evidenced by the documents uploaded to the FIA servers.

Why would Red Bull have such a system, one may reasonably ask? The practical use of it would be for height adjustments throughout the weekend when it’s legal to make such setup changes.

According to the statement from Red Bull, the height adjustment device is completely inaccessible when the car is fully assembled and “ready to run”.

Aside from theoretically small windows of time while carrying out any of the above permitted parc fermé changes, Red Bull’s mechanics would thus be unable to access the adjustment and, even if possible, would risk being spotted by the FIA’s technical babysitters or the garage cameras which are stationed above each car for overnight monitoring.

The Red Bull RB20 may be fitted with a device that allows, in theory, for illegal changes to be made, but there’s no evidence of its use at the times when it is illegal to use.

With Red Bull not attempting to hide its existence via documentation, and the ease with which the team would be caught if it did try to make a quick change while in parc fermé, it falls into the lap of the FIA to clarify whether or not further action is required and, on this occasion, logic would suggest Red Bull should be given the benefit of the doubt.

Certainly, championship leader Max Verstappen was nonplussed about the extent of the furore as he spoke to media, including PlanetF1.com, on Thursday.

“For us, it was just an easy tool. When the parts were off, it was easy to adjust,” he said.

“But once the whole car is built together, you can’t touch it. So, for us, it doesn’t change (anything).

“When I read it, I was thinking about other teams doing it. And then I found out it was related to our team. We never even mentioned it in the briefings, it was just an easier tool to adjust stuff.”

With no breach of the technical regulations, no evidence of breach of the sporting regulations, and a team that has not attempted to disguise the existence of such a system – the cries of “cheating” are simply overblown, just like earlier in the year when the theory of an asymmetrical braking system on the RB20 was hypothesised without evidence.

Certainly, while rival teams flagged up the possibility of this system existing with the FIA, there has been no indication from the governing body – yet again – that any wrongdoing has taken place.

As crunch time in the championships rapidly approaches, let’s not brand teams as cheats without a good reason to do so…

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