Despite the best efforts of the FIA and Red Bull to make the saga go away, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff describes the Austrian team's ride height device as "outrageous".

His comment come as Zak Brown refuses to let the issue go, despite the FIA's insistence that there is basically 'nothing to see here'.

Indeed, despite the claim that the device - which alters the cars' ride height - was of no real benefit, there are claims that it has been on the Austrian team's cars for the last three seasons, consequently Brown has called on engineers and mechanics at the team, including those that have left recently, to sign affidavits.

"I'd like to see the senior leadership, the former chief mechanics and the current mechanics sign an affidavit stating that they have never used or have no knowledge of it being used," he told the Daily Mail.

"The suggestion in the pit lane from a handful of people is that it has been used in that manner, so the only way to bottom it out is the old-fashioned 'sign here', stating what has gone on," he added.

"I know if I was presented with an affidavit and the consequences of not telling the truth were severe, I'd tell the truth.

"I am confident the matter is dealt with going forward. But if they have done it in the past, there is no grey area about it. Modifying your car in parc ferme is as clear a breach of the regulations as possible."

"My view is, from the distance of what I've seen and what I've heard, it's outrageous," said Wolff of the device which was only revealed as a result of open-source documents on an FIA server which is available to all the teams.

"We're all designing parts that are Formula 1 standard, that are to the highest specifications," added the Austrian, "we design parts that are within the regulations.

"Sometimes on things like aeroelasticity, you would probably try to go as far as you can," he admitted, "but there's other things overall, certain parts where you would question why they exist."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by mds167, 23/10/2024 15:03

"@Kenji, you're right - how easily they (noteast Toto) forget.
That said, Red Bull were not been cleared of any wrongdoing - instead, a line has been drawn under the issue.

From the previous related Pitpass article - "I mean, honestly, can I say with complete certainty about whether there's ever been anything irregular? No," said Tombazis on Saturday.

Every team will do whatever they can to gain an advantage (on and off-track) and it shouldn't really be a surprise that this has become an issue now, having been on the car for three years, following the exodus of staff from Red Bull. This time they didn't need a photocopier.

I do wonder, however, just because something is 'open source', how easy would it would be to discover it was there? What format are they published in? How many pages of documents would a team have to pore through?

Or have all the others seen it but been unable to work out how to implement it? Perhaps that is why the Merc is bouncing around..."

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2. Posted by Max Noble, 23/10/2024 11:07

"@kenji - yes… the powers of dark are strong right now… Brown is off the scale… "

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3. Posted by Stitch431, 23/10/2024 9:31

"Ah, Wolf forgets about the system he had on the car that he could not put on it the next season anymore because it actually was not allowed... Now he yells as if he never has done anything like this. On top of that, this has been shared openly for the last three years but nobody bothered, until somebody had to change their illegal wings ... strange. O yeah, they drive with Mercedes engines too."

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4. Posted by kenji, 23/10/2024 0:26

"@Max Noble...with global equilibrium teetering on the edge of disintegration it appears that F1 is no exception. The fact that stands out for me is that the driver support is unbalanced and illogical. Two points here...would the exact same sentiment be exercised if it was Verstappen attempting an identical pass on Norris? Secondly, the Brown/Wolff duo appear to be attempting to derail Red Bull with unsubstantiated claims of cheating. Both of these TP's are surely candidates for 'bringing the FIA/Sport into disrepute' especially now as the FIA has declared that Red Bull have been cleared of any wrong doing! I must say that Brown's demands for affidavits appears to be a final act of desperation that reeks of appropriation from the "Stasi songbook'."

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5. Posted by moomoo, 22/10/2024 17:57

"or even front ones...."

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6. Posted by yakker, 22/10/2024 13:32

""Sometimes on things like aeroelasticity, you would probably try to go as far as you can," he admitted
Like bendy rear wings eh Zak"

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7. Posted by Spindoctor, 22/10/2024 13:11

"It seems that "Little Jack" Horner might have been a very naughty boy, but quite frankly, its all too silly...."

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8. Posted by Max Noble, 22/10/2024 12:13

"So something that’s been open source, i.e. known, for three years is suddenly outrageously horrid!?

Me thinks Wolff is crying wolf… We just need Zack to cry “Look behind you!” And the pantomime is complete!
"

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Wolff hits out over "outrageous" ride height device

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