Red Bull has admitted to changing its car following the FIA's warning over changes being made to ride heights after qualifying.

Ahead of this weekend's United States Grand Prix the FIA issued a statement following claims that an unnamed team was adjusting the bib clearance between the end of qualifying and the race.

Said team was said to be circumventing the rule which forbids changes to the car between qualifying and the race other than to the front wing.

It was claimed that a team was changing the ride height from the low-fuel set-up required for qualifying to one better suited to a full fuel load at the start of the race.

While the regulations stipulate that "it must be clear from physical inspection that changes cannot be made without the use of tools", it was claimed that the rule was being circumvented by means of a device within the cockpit.

"Yes, (the device) exists," admitted a Red Bull spokesman, "although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run.

"In the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward," they added.

The claims first surfaced over the Singapore weekend, after rivals became aware of such a device courtesy of the FIA's open-source system, which is open to all the teams.

After difficult outings in Italy and Azerbaijan, Singapore saw Max Verstappen back on the podium, albeit one step lower than Lando Norris with whom he is battling for the title.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by dejan, 1 hour ago

"If they were indeed not in compliance and the FIA got them to admit, why haven't Red Bull cars been disqualified from the races that these devices were found to be used?

This device based on the description is not just working around the regulations like some others before - it's directly violating the regulations."

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2. Posted by ARL, 4 hours ago

"So, at a time when every last gram of weight is stressed over to keep within limits, Red Bull have spent time and effort adding a device to the car that cannot be accessed when it is put together. So no benefit gained deserving of any penalties. Nothing to see, move on.

Aye right, as they say round here."

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3. Posted by Superbird70, 4 hours ago

"Tsk,tsk. I was hoping it was Ferrari. The red team disappoints me yet again."

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4. Posted by Celtic Tiger, 4 hours ago

"Well, my suspicions it was Mercedes was wrong. Indeed, I stand corrected.

Red Bull, you cheeky monkeys. I wonder if only Max had this device installed on his car because that would look even worse for Perez if he also had this trick available since he was flopping around in Singapore getting dunked on by a Haas. As well as only just managing to bring the car home in the top ten, a lap down. "

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5. Posted by Ricardo_sanchez, 4 hours ago

"If the device is “inaccessible once the car is fully assembled” then technically the height cannot be changed without the use of tools. Seems like a Chapman-esque interpretation of the rules.

There must be more to it, I guess. "

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Red Bull changes car following FIA discussions

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