mwillems wrote: ↑21 Oct 2024, 22:56
chrisc90 wrote: ↑21 Oct 2024, 22:26
mwillems wrote: ↑21 Oct 2024, 21:15
Which is besides the point. The suggestion is that there is substance to the claims of something far more serious.
Its not though. You could make every member of staff in the field do the same. Its a declaration that you have never 'cheated'.
Aint no team going to go and say, "hey look, Zak wants us to sign this piece of paper to say we never cheated. Maybe we shouldn't sign it and show us as being guilty"
I wonder if Zak knew that making a mini-DRS trick wasn't fully legal.
Wonder if Ferrari knew that fooling FIA flow sensors wasn't legal.
Wonder if Mercedes having special qualifying modes wasn't legal.
Wonder if AMR knew a flexi-nose cone wasn't legal.
Wonder if Ferrari knew a flexi plank wasn't legal.
Wonder if Red Bull knew flexi rear wings wasn't legal.
I'm sure you can find COUNTLESS examples of teams pushing the boundaries of the rulebook over the years.
I don't agree that any team should be able to change the car when its in parc ferme, and its wrong. But unless Zak can miraculously come up with some evidence to prove Red Bull were altering the bib, then he just needs to go back to his office and shut up and stop being the annoying character that he is.
I'm not bothered about the paper he wants people to sign. I suspect Zak probably feels the same as you that they won't sign it. it's more the suggestion that there are people not telling the truth.
But from my perspective, I'm interested because it appears some folks in the pit are said to be corroborating that Red Bull made changes in Parc Ferme. I guess it depends who these people are. Someone who thought they saw something is different from an an ex engineer that did the change or witnessed it.
For sure, teams push the limits. But lowering the floor in Parc Ferme is an issue greater by magnitudes than most of the cheeky trickery that all the teams get up to, apart from the Ferrari engine situation, which I would suggest was handled in an odd manner. If you want to think otherwise, I won't try and talk you down.
But with the exodus from the team and some of the bitterness from current and former employees, you do think this won't go away soon.
If changes were made that is a far worse offense I tend agree.
If they get proof that there made you would expect penalties not an issue with that. It does just seem an odd way to so something so sneaky - yes I get its hidden down where scrutineers can't see exactly what is going on. For that reason I am fine with them getting RBR to remove it. Just removes all doubt. I'll grant one thing the little demo they did in full view could well be done to make it look far more clumsy that it really is . Just I feel its done in a way that is still very very open to a scrutineer thinking 'wtf is going on thats not like any other team does so regularly. Different scrutineers, at different race not one of them picked up that and though something was odd.
I will grant one things here too, that Toto and Ferrari have commented on it has be a little curious - Take the assemetric brakes where they all dismissed it. So I do think that rules that out really - I guess here ia a difference is this would be an absolute black and white breach of rules where that (braking) might have been a sneaking way around a rule.
You have a design that was on an open server - a procedure that was largely done in place view scrutieets where you risk one of them just saying what is this and hope you can explain it away.
With that too I guess you would need to see a time lapse really of just how much is done to a car in parc ferme to know how achievable it is. Is there anything that actually stops someone from changing the ride height in the normal way. A quick look through the parc ferme conditions body panels can be removed for clearing fluids removed - floor removed for cleaning, drain oils/fluids from under the car? gives easy access to under the car and...tend to thing it is perhaps more hidden unless a scritineer is under the car with you where tight spaces i agree, but .....
As for Toto and why is it even there though. I think that comment is perhaps a little mischievous I think within the rules its reason for being there is actually fair and sound if it allows quicker changes to ride height during FP without having to remove the floor. Look at how tight FP runs are in sprint weekends, saving 5 minutes when you have an hour to run before no changes to setup could be critical.
Zac's why does the FIA need a seal over it unless... again, maybe RBR are just happy ro try and avoid doubt. If you think its a problem, we can still change it in the normal way seal it off, Thats fine.
As much too, I accept Horners it cant be accessed when the car is assembled can be misleading when cars can be pulled apart to a certain extent under parc ferme so that can be misleading too and something you would say too if you knew changes had been made. Not exactly a lie but misleading too and....
