F1 rivals furious

“Breaking the rules”: Red Bull under fire

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri comments on the F1 turmoil surrounding Red Bull.(Bild: GEPA)

Excitement surrounding Red Bull's Formula 1 cars! Has the top racing team used an unauthorized device? McLaren driver Oscar Piastri sees a clear breach of the rules: "If there is a big difference in terms of performance, then of course there will be some questions!"

"Of course, we are exploring the limits of the technical regulations. Everyone does that and that's what Formula 1 is all about," Piastri admits according to motortsport-total.com. "But from what I've heard, that's no longer part of pushing the limits, it's clearly breaking them."

The car of Sergio Perez(Bild: Associated Press)

According to media reports, other teams had contacted the rule makers and suspected a possible breach of the rules by Red Bull. This concerns a device in the cockpit that allows the set-up of the car to be changed between qualifying and the race. However, this is strictly forbidden. Specifically, the height of the front underbody is said to be adjustable with the part. A Red Bull Racing spokesperson confirmed the existence of this device to the BBC in Austin. However, it is inaccessible as soon as the car is fully assembled and ready for use. Accordingly, it is said not to have been used.

"I haven't heard which car it's supposed to be on or if it's on any car at all, but there are reports of it," said Piastri. "And when it is used, it doesn't push the boundaries. It's out of the gray area and into a black area." In any case, Red Bull relented after the discussions with the FIA and made changes to the Formula 1 car of world champion Max Verstappen and his team-mate Sergio Perez.

McLaren now at an advantage?
If Red Bull has made use of this device, things could now swing in McLaren's favor. Piastri's team-mate Lando Norris is 52 points behind Verstappen ahead of the last six races of the year.