Toto Wolff calls out ‘outrageous’ Red Bull bib device after paddock demonstration

A Zak Brown ally has come forward on the Red Bull ‘Bibgate’ saga in the form of Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

Following a report which emerged going into the US Grand Prix race weekend that an adjustable ride height device was being used by a team, Red Bull held their hands up to confirm that such a device exists on their RB20, though insisted the in-cockpit device has never been used under parc fermé conditions, as the report suggested a team could do, which would breach the regulations.

Toto Wolff tears into Red Bull over RB20 bib device

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock

It must be stressed that no evidence exists to suggest Red Bull has broken any rules and the team performed a public demonstration of the device to the FIA in their Austin garage, one which amused Wolff, though the situation in general certainly did not.

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown had been the outspoken one on this Red Bull device, but said that other team bosses shared his concerns.

So, asked by the media, including PlanetF1.com, for his stance, Wolff replied: “My view is from the distance of what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard, it’s outrageous.

“I really liked that when they put this real broom in the car to demonstrate how that’s the only way of that getting changed. I wonder how long it took them to make this and to stick it in there.

“And I didn’t know that in Formula 1, we were using such devices.

“It’s not good enough to say, you know that’s it, promise they’re not going to do it again.

“Why would you design something and put two marks on it for two positions? Like you want to bit up, bit up. Is that the precise decision making in Formula 1?”

F1 2024 head-to-head battles after US GP

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👉 F1 2024: Head-to-head qualifying record between team-mates

Governing body the FIA has added additional access seals to ensure that parc fermé conditions are followed with the device, however, their single seaters director Nikolas Tombazis called all of this a “non-story”, adding that the governing body could not trawl back through the years to investigate after Red Bull boss Christian Horner said they have had the device for over three years.

So, Wolff was asked if he would like to see the FIA do more?

“I cannot speak for the FIA at all,” said Wolff, “I cannot speak for Nikolas.

“Obviously, that’s something that’s been not spotted for a long time.”

Pressed again on what the FIA could do, and whether now they can only make sure the device is not being used, Wolff said: “No, I think the leadership of the FIA is going to look at that and say: ‘What are we doing with this?'”

Red Bull sit P2 in the F1 2024 Constructors’ Championship standings with five rounds to go, 40 points behind McLaren and eight ahead of Ferrari.

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