Red Bull have confirmed that they will be making changes to their car as a result of discussions with governing body the FIA.
Rivals had alerted the FIA to a device in the Red Bull cockpit which they believed could be used to adjust the height of the front of the car’s floor.
The concern from rival teams was that this could be used to make changes to the car’s set-up between qualifying and races, when this is not allowed.
A Red Bull spokesperson told BBC Sport: “Yes, [the device] exists, although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to go.
“In the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this item was discussed and we agreed a plan for the future.”
F1 teams are banned from making any changes to their car’s setup from the start of qualifying, with the exception of the front wing angle, under so-called parc ferme rules.
The part in question that could be adjusted was the so-called ‘slab’ or ‘tea tray’, which is the front of the floor in the middle of the car.
An FIA statement said: “Any adjustment to the front clearance during parc ferme conditions is strictly prohibited by regulations.
“While we have not received any indication that any team is using such a system, the FIA remains vigilant in our ongoing efforts to improve the governance of the sport.
“As part of this, we have made procedural adjustments to ensure that the front space cannot be easily adjusted.
“In some cases, this may involve the application of a seal to further ensure compliance.”
Red Bull championship leader Max Verstappen said the changes to their car would not affect performance.
Verstappen said: “For us it was just a simple tool. Once the parts were off it was easy to adjust. But once the whole car is built together you can’t touch it anymore. So for us that’s not so.” change (anything).
“When I read it, I thought 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 things. “
McLaren’s Lando Norris, who is challenging Verstappen for the drivers’ title, said: “It’s one thing to have it on your car, and another how much you exploit and use it, which we have no idea about.
“If they’ve used it the way people think they have, maybe it will change things, but they haven’t had multiple poles and wins just for such a device. I don’t think it will change anything. But if you see it poles determined by thousandths, you could say that maybe it will change something.”
Sources close to the situation say the FIA was made aware of the device on the Red Bull during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend last month.
Rivals had spotted its existence in so-called open-source component documents that teams must provide to the FIA about the design of their cars.
The ability to adjust the car’s floor would allow teams to better align the demands of qualifying and racing.
A team would prefer the car to run lower in qualifying and higher in the race.
The F1 season resumes this weekend after a four-week break with the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin.
