Bottas: FIA should have checked the bar of all cars

After the finish of the US Grand Prix, the FIA ​​​​technical services carried out a random inspection on four cars, which revealed that in two of them – Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton – the control rod under the bottom was worn more than necessary and was insufficient not complying with regulations.

In Mexico City, Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas said his team was worried the bar would be wiped out on the bumps of the Austin track, so they increased the ground clearance, which negatively affected the car’s speed. According to Valtteri, the FIA ​​should have checked the upholstery of all cars to ensure there were no violations among the rivals.

Valtteri Bottas: “We were concerned about the wear on the steering wheel, which meant we couldn’t lower the car low enough. In Austin, the old asphalt sections have very low mechanical grip, and if the car is not sufficiently loaded aerodynamically and the power is too high, the losses will be even greater.

We had to compromise on the car’s settings because of the bumps. We could lower the ground clearance, but then there was the risk that our car would not comply with the regulations.

To keep everyone on an equal footing, it’s probably worth checking all the cars on these types of tracks. There’s no doubt that some teams benefited from the lower ride height, while others, like us, were more conservative. So it was worth checking all the cars, but I don’t know if there was time for that.

Perhaps the bar was also not compliant with regulations for some. At least Hamilton and Leclerc were fined.”