Yes I remember the bit about using hand tools. I don't know what it is they exactly did but I assumed that they adjusted the ride height with a hand tool that was done in between being on the track racing and parc ferme. Christian Horner denied that the cars ride height had been altered during parc ferme conditions, that to me said that it had been altered outside parc ferme conditions. I figured that they had found a gap in between parc ferme and the race to make the change.
I've done a check on this and apparently parc ferme conditions are started when the car leaves the pitlane on Q1 and ends at the start of the formation lap on race day. The formation lap isn't the start of the race so I bet the change was made on the formation lap. The button that was inside the car probably operated something ridiculous like a mini fan, the result of the air coming from the fan moved a hand tool which obviously changed the ride height. That way they could say that the driver was operating something else and it was that something else that operated the hand tool not the driver. They can then say that the ride height was not altered by the driver, it was not altered in parc ferme but it was altered by a hand tool but was not in their control.
It sounds ridiculous I know, but that is how they are looking at the rules these days, nothing would surprise me.
Apparently they were asked to change the method of changing the ride height as the effort required to change it was too low.
Notice how there is no mention of no hand tools.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/101690
Chris.
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