Lando Norris has welcomed the FIA's response to a potentially illegal device found on his world championship rival Max Verstappen’s Red Bull vehicle, following concerns it might contravene regulations for performance enhancement during races when adjustments between qualifying and actual events are prohibited.
As he gears up for this weekend's US Grand Prix in a pivotal battle with Verstappen for the championship crown across six remaining outings, Norris acknowledges being 52 points adrift but emphasizes that there still remain ample opportunities (180) to close the gap.
Prior to race day on Friday, FIA clarified their stance against a device believed to manipulate car ride height during qualifying and races when such modifications are not allowed—an alteration of focus area at Red Bull's vehicle front section floor known as "tea tray." The automobile team has since reached an understanding with the governing body regarding this system.
Norris expressed approval for FIA taking action: “It’s good that they are doing so,” he said, underlining a critical distinction between clearly defined regulations and pushing boundaries to innovate within legal limits—a principle on which Norris' team has excelled in their past endeavors.
Despite downplaying the potential impact of this device usage thus far, Norris acknowledged its capacity for influencing outcomes: “It’s one thing having it; another is how much they exploit and use,” he conceded. He noted that if Verstappen's team has leveraged these resources effectively to gain an edge—a possibility beyond their knowledge scope —then the situation could potentially shift in Norris favor as races progress further ahead into 2023 season.
Additionally, FIA announced a decision effective next racing cycle: they would cease best lap time bonus allocation (introduced since 2019) - an action that was met with some controversy at the previous Singapore Grand Prix when Daniel Ricciardo denied Norris this opportunity due to being ineligible as he wasn't among top ten finishers.
Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal rejected any allegations of undue influence on sister racing outfit RB and stated their actions were purely driven by competitive spirit rather than manipulative interference within the rules framework.
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