Formula 1 United States GP

Red Bull: FIA clampdown on bib adjuster to appease rivals’ “paranoia”

Christian Horner, the Red Bull team boss, sees the row over his squad’s front bib as a distraction tactic launched by rivals

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, on the pit wall

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal and General Manager, Scuderia Ferrari and Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Mattia Binotto, CEO and CTO, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Jock Clear, Ferrari, Oliver Bearman, Reserve Driver, Ferrari and Haas F1 Team, James Vowles, Team Principal, Williams Racing

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team, Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber, with Romain Grosjean

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Helmets of Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, in the cockpit

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, in the cockpit

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Franco Colapinto, Williams, Gaetan Jego, Williams Racing Race Engineer

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

The flag of the United States of America

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team, NASCAR star Jeff Gordon swap helmets

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Oliver Oakes, Team Principal, Alpine F1 Team, in the Team Principals Press Conference

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, in the Team Principals Press Conference

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team on stage

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Former NASCAR star Jeff Gordon poses with an Aston Martin Pirelli Hot Laps car

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team, Raoul Spanger, Manager of Nico Hulkenberg

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Leo Neugebauer in the Haas F1 Team garage

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, with Gene Haas, Owner and Founder, Haas F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Mick Schumacher, Reserve Driver, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Mechanics push Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Alex Albon, Williams FW46

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Sprint pole man Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Sprint pole man Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, celebrates in Parc Ferme

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, receives his Sprint Qualifyiing Award from Leo Neugebauer, German Track and Field athlete

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Neugebauer, German Track and Field athlete

2024 United States Grand Prix - Friday

Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner says the FIA’s intervention over his team’s front bib adjuster is simply about placating “paranoia” from its rivals.

The Milton Keynes-based squad has been at the centre of attention this weekend after it emerged the FIA was ramping up protocols to stop teams adjusting their front bib clearance in parc ferme. This came as a result of suspicions from Red Bull’s competitors that the outfit could have been adjusting its settings between qualifying and the race – which would be outside the regulations.

While the FIA has added seals to the bib adjuster on the Red Bull this weekend, and the squad is to make changes to its car before the end of the season, Horner says that allegations of cheating by his team are unfounded.

Asked about why though, if the team was innocent, the FIA had added the seals to his car, Horner told Sky:

“Because I think there's been a bit of moaning from one of our rivals, and it's the FIA's job to look into these things.

“It [the adjuster] is on a list of the open-source components. So, it's been publicly available for the last three years.

“The FIA are happy with it. I think it’s just to satisfy perhaps some paranoia elsewhere in the paddock.”
Horner explained that it was not an easy process for Red Bull to adjust the front bib setting – as it required the removal of both bodywork panels and the pedals, plus it needed the use of a two-foot long pole by a mechanic.

“Every car has a tool that they can adjust the front of the bib with,” added Horner. “Ours is located at the front, in front of the footwell, and it's been there for, I think, over three years.

“But you've got to have the pedals out, and other panels and pipework out, in order to be able to get to it. So, it's like any other adjustment on the car.”

He added: “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. There isn't.”

Horner suggested it would be nonsensical for Red Bull to utilise such a complicated system to adjust its car, when there were other areas that were much easier and swifter to change.

“It would be easier to adjust the rear roll bar than it is to get to that component,” he said. “It's all part of the packaging and in the front end of the chassis.”

Horner felt that after the recent controversy surrounding McLaren’s ‘mini DRS’, that the attention being shifted on to his squad was deliberate.

“I feel that it's sometimes to distract from perhaps what's going on in your own house, that sometimes you try and light a fire somewhere else,” he said.