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How Red Bull’s T-Tray Trick Worked: Did They Gain Any Advantages?

Red Bull’s device had an impact on the ground effect, one of the most important areas in Formula 1. Are there any real benefits?

Red Bull confirmed to have a system that can change the height of the T-Tray. The team was already among the suspects on Wednesday, when the FIA announced its concerns. The investigation started during the Grand Prix in Singapore, almost a month ago. However, it’s still not clear which one of the teams pushed the FIA to intervene.

Red Bull spoke on the matter through a representative once the circus landed in Austin:

“The device exists, 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”.

The news arrived right before the United States Grand Prix, one of the toughest races on the floor. This adds to the multiple problems that Red Bull is facing this season.

How does it work?

In the last few hours, there has been talk of how Red Bull has a system that allows them to change the height of the car, even under parc fermé.

It doesn’t work on the whole height of the single-seater, but only on the T-Tray. This is the front part of the plank, the flat resin band in the middle of the floor.

Due to the impact with the floor, with the ground effect, the resin wears out during the races. But, according to the rules, it can be below 1 mm after every Grand Prix. An example of that was last year’s race in Austin when Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were disqualified.

Every single team tries to minimize the problem by inserting a skid block right on the top of this area. Following the rules, they can work on the local height to limit the consequences of the impact with the asphalt. However, all this work needs to be done before the Qualifying session, usually with a mechanic working under the car.

Red Bull’s system allowed the team to shift the height of the T-Tray from the inside of the cockpit, possibly even after the enactment of the parc fermé.

Did it benefit Red Bull?

This generation of Formula 1 cars is extremely sensitive to the distance between the floor and the asphalt. Even a slight change can have important effects on the performance and the advantages are considerable.

Any team’s goal is to find the perfect compromise between Qualifying and the race, where the fuel load and the speed are very different. The need is to find the right height that assures good performance in both conditions.

But Red Bull, apparently, could have avoided this choice, lowering the T-Tray to the floor during Quali. During the Qualifying session, in fact, there are no concerns for the worn out of the plank, as there are few laps to complete on Saturday. On the contrary, on Sunday, Red Bull only needed to increase the height.

The Milton Keynes-based team seemed to have benefited only on single laps. But in a season like 2024, where the gap between the teams is narrowing, having one less car ahead can make a huge difference in a race.

What the FIA have decided

After talking with Red Bull, the FIA decided that the device is illegal. However, there are no penalties for the current World Champions. The reason behind it is that there is no actual proof that Red Bull used this trick under parc fermé. Besides, taking targeted action could have affected both Championships, with the fight for the Titles still open.

In order to avoid these consequences, the FIA decided to introduce targeted controls in this area. This decision definitely adds more tension in Red Bull box.

Interestingly, just after the Free Practice session a while ago, Red Bull’s number one mechanic was showing two FIA members how Red Bull’s ride height device works. Sky Sports F1 journalist Ted Kravitz was standing just outside the Red Bull garage during this demonstration which was not hidden from the public for the most part.

During this 2024 season, the team appears to be vulnerable and the RB20 project is everything but perfect.

The Bull is not unbeatable anymore, and the successes of the 2023 season seem a distant memory.

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