Austin: McLaren’s Lando Norris said he felt calm and confident on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix and did not expect rivals Red Bull to lose performance after making requested car alterations.
The champion team admitted they had made changes after talks with the sport’s ruling body the International Motoring Federation (FIA), widely reported to have concerned a “trick” mechanism to control the ride height of their cars.
Six races remain
Red Bull have denied making use of the device.
“It’s one thing having it on your car and a second if you’re using it,” said Norris, who is 52 points behind Red Bull’s three-time world champion Max Verstappen with six races remaining.
Verstappen will be seeking to end a run of eight races without a victory in Sunday’s contest at the Circuit of the Americas.
Hot topic in Austin
“So, if it has been helping them, if they’ve been utilising it in the way people think they have, then maybe it will shift in our direction, but when you talk about things like that, they’re not going to have got several pole positions or wins just because of such a device.
“So I don’t think it will really change anything in the scheme of things — maybe at certain qualifying when it’s been split by hundreds of a second or even thousands. Then you might say, ‘OK, well, maybe this has helped in that direction or this direction’.”
The story was a hot topic in the Austin paddock with many observers suggesting that the issue was that a device may have been used to change a car’s ride height in parc ferme between qualifying and the race.
“While we have not received any indication of any team employing such a system, the FIA remains vigilant in our ongoing efforts to enhance the policing of the sport,” the ruling body said in a statement.
Teams are not allowed to make set-up changes between qualifying and the race.
The bonus point was awarded originally in the 1950s, but then dropped before being reintroduced in 2019 for the lap, if the driver finishes in the top ten.
It has potential significance in a long season of 24 races, as this year.
The FIA (International Motoring Federation) made the announcement ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix among changes to the 2024 and 2025 sporting and technical regulations after approval by the World Motor Sport Council.
In another change, a requirement to run a young driver during free practice is to increase from once per car per season to twice per car per season.
The significance of the fastest lap was shown at last month’s Singapore Grand Prix where RB’s Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo pitted for new tyres to set the fastest lap in his final race.
RB are a sister team to Red Bull and thereby deprived rivals like McLaren and their title-challenging driver Lando Norris of a possible additional point.
Norris held the fastest lap and bonus point as the race entered its final laps.
Ricciardo was 18th and not eligible to score a bonus point, but he was called to pit and duly set the lap, depriving Norris of a point.
Agreeing to a plan
A Red Bull representative said: “Yes, it exists, although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run. In the correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward.”
On his prospects this weekend as F1 goes into a triple header of races in Texas, Mexico and Brazil, Norris said: “Our expectations now, and actually for a while, have been that we’re a top team and we’re fighting for wins and we’re fighting for a constructors’ championship and a drivers’ championship.
“So just as much as it can go wrong, it can also go well, like it has done for us. We’re fighting against the best of the best and it’s been a fun year. I think no matter what, it’s still been a successful season.”
