Zak Brown warns Red Bull of "massive consequences" as 'bib' trick drama rumbles on

McLaren CEO Zak Brown thinks Red Bull should face “massive consequences” if the FIA find them guilty of using their controversial ride height device.

The build-up to this weekend’s United States Grand Prix has been dominated by a device on Red Bull’s RB20 car.

Rival teams have suspected Red Bull of potentially adjusting the height of the front of the car’s floor under parc ferme conditions - something which is strictly forbidden in F1.

Red Bull admitted on Thursday that they were the team in question and have made the necessary adjustments to appease the FIA.

While Red Bull have confirmed they've had such a device on the car, it's not clear if they've ever actually used it. 

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 in Austin, Brown wasn’t entirely convinced by Red Bull’s statement.

Brown said: “Why would you design it to be inside the car when the other nine teams, it’s designed to be outside of the car? Therefore, the rules… ingenuity is part of Formula 1 and there are black-and-white rules. You cannot touch your race car other than things like driver comfort.

“They chose their words very carefully saying when the car’s fully assembled but you’re allowed to not have the car fully assembled in parc ferme and when you’re working on driver comfort. Also, what doesn’t quite stack up is the comment that you can’t modify.

“Well then why is the FIA feel they need to put a seal on it? If it’s not accessible post or during parc ferme then why put a seal on it?”

The issue is far from over though with Brown wanting action taken against Red Bull if they are found to be guilty.

“I am very happy to see the FIA is on it,” he added. “I think it needs to be a 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.

“Touching your car after parc ferme is highly illegal within the rules so I think the FIA needs to get to the bottom of where they? Weren’t they? Why would you design it to be inside the car when the nine other teams haven’t.”

Brown calls for “transparency”

Brown revealed that he and a number of other team bosses still “have questions” over Red Bull’s device.

“I think it would be unfair of me to say… of course I have an opinion on whether they have or haven't,” Brown explained. “FIA needs to be very diligent in their bottoming out - whether they think they have or haven’t.

“When you see cleverly worded comments like you can’t do it when you’re fully assembled. I know the car isn’t always fully assembled and the FIA feels they need to put a seal on it. Why would the FIA need to put a seal on something if it wasn’t accessible?

“Transparency is critically important in today’s day and age so I still have questions. I know from talking to other team bosses they still have questions. So until those questions are answered I think it’s still an ongoing investigation to bottom out what do we know? I’d like some more answers before I am prepared to go right - they were or they weren’t. I think the FIA will bottom it out.”