Solved

lvl 20 CD bought by lvl 19 acc

https://igpmanager.com/app/d=staff&id=11268129
I asked a lvl 19 acc to check her and she didn't had red stars, meaning it could be bought by a lvl 19 acc.
Is it a visual bug or lvl 19 managers can really buy lvl 20 staff and maybe drivers?

Its possible, no visual bug.
I bought a lvl 20 TD when i was lvl 19.

Definitely have done previously

I hope that no one will remove all staff who do not match the manager's level. Otherwise I won't have anyone left, LOL.

I bought one when i was level 19, too.

I am currently lvl 19 and i can buy lvl 20 staff and drivers. All lvl 20 staff or drivers i see dont have any red stars

When I set up another acc, I could buy level 4 staff at level 1, which I suppose could be related..? I think it's Lvl 3 you can get at Lvl 1.

Good to know that I will be able to buy Staff lvl 20 in my main acc in 10 races ?

I'm now waiting for Kevin's update on it ?

I'm 700xp points away from lvl 19 and can't buy lvl 19 staff tough. But if it really is about decimal places, then even driver attributes, more especially talent, might be the difference we might be having in qualifying times.
Will wait for a definitive answer then. Thanks Kevin! Have a great weekend!

I’m currently level 10, I just got a level 14 CD from a daily deal in the shop as a ‘limited offer’ maybe it’s a similar situation to that?

Hey Kevin! Any updates on it?

Thanks Bruno! Good to know ?
Another doubt about the lower levels: do the red stars count like if it had 5 stars or not?
Nvm, just bought a TD and it has the same research power than my now former TD 5*.
It must be something related to rounding up like Kevin said.
But will it get prohibited in the future or not?

The maximum achievable REAL search power is (100-Level_Manager * 3)%.

When this is not the case, it is for approximation reasons that the game does. For example, a level 19 sees 44%, but the real percentage is 43.000000000001%, which is approximately 44%.

In fact with a CD level 18 and DT 19 (or vice versa) the percentage drops to 43. (maybe it doesn't go down if the CD 18 was 5 stars for a level 18)
This is to say that when one of the two staff members is at a lower level the percentage could be both equal and different, but the search power is still different, even if approximate to the same percentage.
Random example, with CD 16 and DT 17, the real search could be 48.XY, approximated to 49, but different from 49.00.


I can't give you an answer to this question because in special offers it is sometimes possible to buy higher level staff.