Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, has defended his team against accusations regarding a ride-height-altering device on the RB20, as scrutiny intensifies during the 2024 United States Grand Prix.

This comes after McLaren and other rival teams raised suspicions that Red Bull’s car might have breached Formula 1’s regulations by using the device during ‘parc ferme’ conditions, where no adjustments are allowed.

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The controversy erupted after McLaren alleged that the device in question, located on the “bib” at the front of the car’s floor, could potentially allow Red Bull to change the car’s ride height.

Zak Brown, McLaren’s CEO, was vocal about his concerns, stating that Red Bull’s explanations “don’t stack up” and demanding “massive consequences” if the team was found guilty of exploiting the device illegally.

However, Horner was quick to downplay the situation, claiming the FIA had already reviewed the matter and found no issues. Horner suggested the uproar stemmed from paranoia among rivals rather than any wrongdoing by Red Bull.

“The FIA is totally happy with our explanations,” Horner told Sky Sports. “There’s been a bit of moaning from one of our rivals, and the FIA’s job is to look into these things. But this is a component that’s been publicly available for the last three years, and there’s nothing untoward about it.”

Horner hinted that the complaints might be a distraction tactic from McLaren, who are currently locked in a fierce battle with Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship. “Sometimes, when things aren’t going perfectly in your own house, you try to light a fire somewhere else,” he said.

Following the initial practice session in Austin, Red Bull conducted a demonstration of how the bib adjuster operates for FIA officials, who inspected the car to ensure compliance. A spokesperson for the governing body clarified that they were “checking that all the cars comply with our new requirements”.

Despite the FIA being satisfied with Red Bull’s device, the governing body added additional seals to the bib adjuster for the Austin race weekend to ensure no possibility of manipulation in parc ferme conditions. The FIA’s single-seater director, Nikolas Tombazis, stated that the controversy was likely a “non-story” moving forward, as the issue had been resolved.

Ferrari’s team principal, Frederic Vasseur, expressed trust in the FIA’s handling of the situation, but he made it clear that if Red Bull had exploited the device, it would constitute cheating. “If they used it, it’s clearly cheating,” said Vasseur. “But we have to trust the FIA to do their job and see what happens.”

Max Verstappen holds a 52-point lead over McLaren’s Lando Norris in the Drivers’ Championship, and McLaren is ahead of Red Bull by 41 points in the Constructors’ standings with six races remaining in the season. With such fine margins, tensions between the two teams have escalated, especially in light of McLaren being asked to alter a rear-wing device at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix earlier in the season.

Horner, however, remained unfazed by the ongoing scrutiny. “Our car has come under more inspection than any other in the pit lane over the last three years,” he said. “We are totally comfortable with the situation.”