The Red Bull’s T-Tray gate: From political wars to FIA’s struggles
Abstract
Innovation and
creativity are the backbone of Formula One, but they often walk a fine line
between ingenuity and controversy. Red Bull's recently leaked system for
modifying the height of the T-tray (a critical aerodynamic component at the
front of the car) has sparked widespread debate. Much like the
"flexi-wing" saga, this innovation exploits grey areas in the
regulations, raising concerns about fairness and regulatory oversight. Despite
clear rules regarding aerodynamic elements and “Parc fermé”, Red Bull's T-tray
modification system has once again put the spotlight on how much room for
interpretation teams have and how far they are willing to push the boundaries.
What is the T-Tray?
The T-tray,
also known as the “tea tray” or the “bib”, is a horizontal plank under the
front of car that plays a pivotal role in managing airflow beneath the chassis.
As a mandatory component per FIA regulations, its primary function is to
regulate the car’s ground clearance, preventing teams from running their cars
too close to the track surface, which could increase aerodynamic performance
dangerously.
By limiting how high/low the car can go, the T-tray
ensures that airflow beneath the chassis is controlled to prevent excessive
downforce. However, the T-tray is also integral in balancing the car’s
aerodynamics, particularly during cornering and braking, making its design a
key area of focus for engineers. It is also important to remember that this
generation of F1 cars rely heavily on ground effect, a situation that makes
this component really crucial to the performance of an actual Formula One car.
On the other hand, this device cannot change the car height, due to the fact that this kind of modification can be obtained (on the front of the car) only by acting on the length of the suspension diagonals, the two pull rods in the case of the Red Bull or on the third element.
How Red Bull’s T-Tray system works
Red Bull's new T-tray adjustment system appears to
allow the height of this component to be changed between qualifying and the
race. During this period, there is a rule called "parc fermé", which
means that the car cannot be modified except for minor changes or replacements
of components allowed by the regulations. This rule creates a struggle for the
teams, which are forced to decide on the car's set-up and find a good balance
between a set-up that gives maximum performance and one that preserves the
tyres and creates a good race pace.
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This ingenious device could also be
very useful (as suggested by Ayao Komatsu, Haas Team Principal) to avoid
wearing the skid (a component placed on the floor of the car) described in
article 3.5.9 of the FIA F1 Technical Regulations which must be less than 1mm
worn at the end of the race. A situation that has occurred before, such as when
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified from the 2023 Austin Grand
Prix for exceeding this wear limit.
The politics behind the T-Tray gate
This new controversy is just the tip
of an iceberg that has been growing since the beginning of this championship
and is clearly linked to several factors that play a crucial role in explaining
this phenomenon.
The first is the fact that this
championship is really on the edge and is not dominated by one force; when this
happens, the battle to be first is obviously linked to every inch of advantage
you can get, and in Formula One you can get an edge either on the track or by
having a deep understanding of the Regulations.
Secondly, next year will be crucial
for F1 because of the renewal of the "Concorde Agreement"[1],
a contract between all the teams and the FIA regarding the distribution of
economic revenues and political power in the circus. This situation creates a
lot of stress between the teams, who want to get as much as possible from this
agreement and try to put pressure on the other teams in any way possible.
The third factor that needs to be
underlined is related to the discovery of a different plethora of what I like
to call “non-visible devices”, which
are all the ingenious solutions used by various teams that cannot be seen by looking
at a car because they are hidden in one way or another. The fact that many of
these devices have come to light this year is probably due to the fact that
many engineers move from one team to another, sharing innovative solutions that
can only be known if seen during the development phase.
In this specific case, Red bull has
declared that this solution has been on the car for three years, and it cannot
be used by the driver because you need to access a particular compartment to adjust
this system.
Red Bull also added that this
component is listed as an OSC (Open-Source Component), which means that its
project is not a Red Bull’s intellectual property and is also accessible to any
other team and to FIA via a dedicated server. In conclusion, Christian Horner (Red
Bull’s Team Principal), has stated that “Sometimes, to distract from what’s
going on in your own house, you light a fire somewhere else”.
In contrast, Frederick Vasseur
(Ferrari Team Principal) stated that “If they really modified the car in parc
fermé, it would be more than cheating” and Zack Brown (McLaren CEO)
affirmed that “When you hear these cleverly worded comments like ‘You can’t
use it when the car is assembled’, well, I know the cars are not always
assembled”. These comments can highlight how tense the situation is and how
much is behind the T-Tray gate.
Where is the FIA in all of this?
In all this chaos, the most damaged
party is always the FIA, which is unable to keep up with the teams, who have
more personnel and much more creativity in finding clever ways of teetering on
the edge between fair and unfair. Much like the flexi-wings controversy, Red
Bull's T-tray innovation has highlighted gaps in the FIA's current enforcement
protocols. On the other hand, it is important to emphasise how difficult such a
system is to detect, at least in this case, given that it could be used even
after the stewards have checked it, making it almost impossible to detect with
the current inspection system.
Despite this exoneration, the FIA's
lack of clarity is once again evident, often preferring to deal with matters
behind closed doors rather than in a transparent manner that ensures integrity
and sportsmanship, two of the main reasons why it has the power to regulate and
sanction motorsport.
Conclusion
Even if the existence of this device
is confirmed, it is almost impossible to prove that it was used to obtain an
unfair advantage, given how hidden and undetectable this system is. All in all,
this is likely to be another situation where someone has gained an unfair
advantage, but no one is considered guilty.
On a broader scale, it becomes
evident that the T-Tray gate will be yet another chapter in a political warfare
that can only escalate in the coming weeks and months.
[1] For an in-depth look at the topic: https://www.4clegal.com/vivi-lacademy/origini-patto-concordia-perche-formula-1-fia-meritano-attenzione
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