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#264976
It's ironic, you all seem to complain about the FIA helping Ferrari so want them to help McLaren instead.

The overruns are illegal.


I tend to agree but there is nothing on the current regs to ban them on.


Yes there is.
Q: Why does the FIA believe that the use of blown diffuser technology may be illegal when used with certain engine maps?
Charlie Whiting: It became apparent to us, through examination of data, that what we thought was a fairly benign feature was turning into something that was being used, in our opinion, illegally. An exhaust system is there for the purpose of exhausting gasses from the engine and when you’re off-throttle, it isn’t doing that any more. Therefore it’s being used to influence the aerodynamic characteristics of the car. We think arguably, this infringes Article 3.15 of the technical regulations.

Q: Why has this issue been raised now, rather than last season, over the winter period, or earlier this year?
CW: Simply because these things start off little, appearing to be quite benign. They then get worse and worse. Now we are faced with the possibility of even more extreme systems coming along. We felt it was time to do something about it.

http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews ... 12060.html

Blown diffusers

Q: Why will the off-throttle blown diffusers be banned from Silverstone onwards?
CW: We know exhaust gasses have an influence on the aerodynamic performance of the car and we accept that. The point is that a design should not attempt to use the exhaust for a completely different reason [aerodynamics as a primary, rather than a secondary effect].

Q: What are the new operating conditions with regard to throttle-opening and spark?
CW: We only want to target this one specific issue - what we think is illegal use of maps for aero reasons. We don't want to influence the perfectly legitimate systems on the car - engine braking for example. We're happy for them to use that, but we want to be sure it isn't being abused.

We're saying that if a driver comes off the throttle - zero pedal - then the throttles have got to be [maximum] 10 per cent open at 12,000rpm and [maximum] 20 per cent open at 18,000rpm.

One engine manufacturer is asking for a little bit more - for what appear to be genuine reasons. We have the ability to go back on this particular point, to look at 2009 maps, when [teams] did not have in place the exhausts that they have now. If they needed 28 per cent throttle in order to achieve 0Nm at 18,000rpm back then, then that would appear to be a perfectly reasonable request.

The engines haven't changed: they are homologated engines and identical to the ones we have used from 2007 onwards.

Similarly, we will look at any extreme use of ignition. We will know what the team used to do with regard to fuelling and ignition. If we see a clear imbalance then I think we will suspect it is being done for different reasons [other than delivering torque]. We haven't put clear limits, we haven't put plus or minus 20¡, for example, for a given torque demand. We have just said the set up that you use for fuelling and ignition must be normal for the demanded torque. We are looking for anything abnormal. I think that's the best we can do for the moment.

Q: Does that mean there will not be blanket limits across all makes of engine?
CW: A lot of it depends on engine architecture. For example, we have to be very careful not to disadvantage barrel throttles versus butterfly throttles, because they have a distinctly different way of working. In answer to the question, if it's clear that in 2009 one engine with a butterfly throttle only needed 15 per cent [at zero pedal] but another engine using a barrel throttle needed 20 per cent, we could make a distinction. We don't want to put a figure across the board which will affect one team in a different way to another.

Q: Why will this ban appear at Silverstone? Why not earlier?
CW: Our argument is that there is a strong case to suggest they [blown diffusers] are illegal. Ultimately, the stewards will decide.

We have not had protests yet. I think we got close to a protest in Monaco. I gave the team in question an assurance that we were going to follow this through; we weren't going to give it up. On that basis we haven't had any protests yet, though I have always emphasised to the teams that this option is open to them.

I think everyone is doing the same thing, to some degree, so I think we need to be sensible about this and approach it in a pragmatic way to get the situation under control.

Q: There is a perception that decisions like this are political rather than technical, and damage the image of F1. What is your opinion?
CW: I'm aware of some stories being written, but to be frank with you, I know it's not a political decision. I know it's purely a technical intervention on our side and I feel perfectly comfortable with that.

http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews ... 12223.html.
#265111
Well it was ridiculous on qualifying day at Silverstone. One rule, then another then Horner and whitmarsh arguing, and a few others. Then Todt arrives . next we see Horner and newey scurrying off down the pitlane. Red Bull said they wouldnt change. And eventually one hour before qualifying the ruling comes and the engineers have rush around and sort out the mapping. What an amaturish way to run a top class international sport worth billions of pounds!!
#265149
Well it was ridiculous on qualifying day at Silverstone. One rule, then another then Horner and whitmarsh arguing, and a few others. Then Todt arrives . next we see Horner and newey scurrying off down the pitlane. Red Bull said they wouldnt change. And eventually one hour before qualifying the ruling comes and the engineers have rush around and sort out the mapping. What an amaturish way to run a top class international sport worth billions of pounds!!


Typical of European run organisations eh :twisted: so much bitching and corruption look at the FIA, FIFA s*** any top notch sporting body in the EU.
#265173
Last I heard it was Ferrari and Sauber-Ferrari (surprise surprise) who were the only teams to not want the rules to revert back to that of Valencia.


And surely Toro Rosso would be in that camp as well if RBR wasn't telling them how to vote. Red Bull should buy a couple more teams, then they'd be able to run the sport however the heck they want. I mean now that regulation changing is a democratic process.
#265204
Last I heard it was Ferrari and Sauber-Ferrari (surprise surprise) who were the only teams to not want the rules to revert back to that of Valencia.


And surely Toro Rosso would be in that camp as well if RBR wasn't telling them how to vote. Red Bull should buy a couple more teams, then they'd be able to run the sport however the heck they want. I mean now that regulation changing is a democratic process.


It's this stuff that kind of irks me (not that I can be too irked after Sundays great race :D ). The FiA has for half a season been weak and indecisive. That led to a head to head fight between McLaren and Red Bull. From day one SF has steered clear of this, yet now you read in some places this is an SF fueled incident. For what its worth, Ferrari signed the agreement as soon as it was presented to them. That was confirmed by Bernie and Horner. Much to Stefano's credit he made the point that, although it may disadvantage SF, the team signed in the best interests of F1, something others didn't seem able to do.
#265217
Last I heard it was Ferrari and Sauber-Ferrari (surprise surprise) who were the only teams to not want the rules to revert back to that of Valencia.


And surely Toro Rosso would be in that camp as well if RBR wasn't telling them how to vote. Red Bull should buy a couple more teams, then they'd be able to run the sport however the heck they want. I mean now that regulation changing is a democratic process.


It's this stuff that kind of irks me (not that I can be too irked after Sundays great race :D ). The FiA has for half a season been weak and indecisive. That led to a head to head fight between McLaren and Red Bull. From day one SF has steered clear of this, yet now you read in some places this is an SF fueled incident. For what its worth, Ferrari signed the agreement as soon as it was presented to them. That was confirmed by Bernie and Horner. Much to Stefano's credit he made the point that, although it may disadvantage SF, the team signed in the best interests of F1, something others didn't seem able to do.


I really don't see it in the best interests of the sport, the best interests of the sport is to enable the regulations to be independently applied. The extreme overruns were illegal, I'm pretty damn disappointed the teams have got away with that.
#265223
Last I heard it was Ferrari and Sauber-Ferrari (surprise surprise) who were the only teams to not want the rules to revert back to that of Valencia.


And surely Toro Rosso would be in that camp as well if RBR wasn't telling them how to vote. Red Bull should buy a couple more teams, then they'd be able to run the sport however the heck they want. I mean now that regulation changing is a democratic process.


It's this stuff that kind of irks me (not that I can be too irked after Sundays great race :D ). The FiA has for half a season been weak and indecisive. That led to a head to head fight between McLaren and Red Bull. From day one SF has steered clear of this, yet now you read in some places this is an SF fueled incident. For what its worth, Ferrari signed the agreement as soon as it was presented to them. That was confirmed by Bernie and Horner. Much to Stefano's credit he made the point that, although it may disadvantage SF, the team signed in the best interests of F1, something others didn't seem able to do.


Not sure if this is what you're implying, but my post was not meant to sound anti-Ferrari - quite the contrary.
#265289
Last I heard it was Ferrari and Sauber-Ferrari (surprise surprise) who were the only teams to not want the rules to revert back to that of Valencia.


And surely Toro Rosso would be in that camp as well if RBR wasn't telling them how to vote. Red Bull should buy a couple more teams, then they'd be able to run the sport however the heck they want. I mean now that regulation changing is a democratic process.


It's this stuff that kind of irks me (not that I can be too irked after Sundays great race :D ). The FiA has for half a season been weak and indecisive. That led to a head to head fight between McLaren and Red Bull. From day one SF has steered clear of this, yet now you read in some places this is an SF fueled incident. For what its worth, Ferrari signed the agreement as soon as it was presented to them. That was confirmed by Bernie and Horner. Much to Stefano's credit he made the point that, although it may disadvantage SF, the team signed in the best interests of F1, something others didn't seem able to do.


Not sure if this is what you're implying, but my post was not meant to sound anti-Ferrari - quite the contrary.


I was more going off at the reporting ..... and perhaps your "surprise surprise" which, in all fairness was a reaction to the reports you had read. And for sure, there were a few media reports that tried to portray this as some sort of Ferrari thing - which clearly it never was. As I mentioned it was well known that Ferrari had signed. And to Ferrari credit, it was probably against their own self interest.

I really don't see it in the best interests of the sport, the best interests of the sport is to enable the regulations to be independently applied. The extreme overruns were illegal, I'm pretty damn disappointed the teams have got away with that.

You're 100% correct, BUT, now is not the time to act. The FiA should have acted at the start of the year - before the first race. Charlie has confirmed they were aware of this then and they had their opinion then. The proper thing for the FiA to do would have been to either ban it or declare it legal before the first race. Waiting this long and then acting in such a wishy washy way is just stupid.
#265294
Last I heard it was Ferrari and Sauber-Ferrari (surprise surprise) who were the only teams to not want the rules to revert back to that of Valencia.


And surely Toro Rosso would be in that camp as well if RBR wasn't telling them how to vote. Red Bull should buy a couple more teams, then they'd be able to run the sport however the heck they want. I mean now that regulation changing is a democratic process.


It's this stuff that kind of irks me (not that I can be too irked after Sundays great race :D ). The FiA has for half a season been weak and indecisive. That led to a head to head fight between McLaren and Red Bull. From day one SF has steered clear of this, yet now you read in some places this is an SF fueled incident. For what its worth, Ferrari signed the agreement as soon as it was presented to them. That was confirmed by Bernie and Horner. Much to Stefano's credit he made the point that, although it may disadvantage SF, the team signed in the best interests of F1, something others didn't seem able to do.


Not sure if this is what you're implying, but my post was not meant to sound anti-Ferrari - quite the contrary.


I was more going off at the reporting ..... and perhaps your "surprise surprise" which, in all fairness was a reaction to the reports you had read. And for sure, there were a few media reports that tried to portray this as some sort of Ferrari thing - which clearly it never was. As I mentioned it was well known that Ferrari had signed. And to Ferrari credit, it was probably against their own self interest.


ah, but it wasn't my "surprise surprise". I was responding to andrew's post. I was really only trying to point out that Toro Rosso ought to be upset by the reversion to Valencia spec, but are probably being told to keep their mouths shut by big brother RBR.
#265413
Exhaust ban was 'unpoliceable' - Lowe
ESPNF1 Staff
July 11, 2011

McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe believes the ban on off-throttle blown diffusers at the British Grand Prix was "unpoliceable", but insists the FIA was not to blame for the confusion and controversy over the weekend.

The FIA went to Silverstone with the intention of banning the systems, which use complex engine maps to boost the performance of the diffuser by continually blowing it with exhaust gas. But because each manufacturer had a different method for exhaust blowing, which in some cases was closely linked to the engine's reliability, it soon became clear that it would be difficult to create a level playing field with one rule.

As a result the teams and the FIA have now agreed to return to the regulations used at the European Grand Prix for the rest of the season, with a fresh set of rules ready to outlaw diffuser blowing completely in 2012. Lowe, whose McLaren team was hit hard by the ban at Silverstone, said the FIA had only been acting in what it considered to be the best interests of the sport and believes it made the correct decision by having an open discussion with the teams.

"I think the FIA have done an honest job and worked very hard to try and police the regulations as they see they are," he told ESPNF1. "I think they've only realised now as the weeks have gone on how difficult it is and I don't think there is any embarrassment for them as long as you reach a view that the regulations are unpoliceable in this respect and in the short-term."

The Technical Working Group (TWG), which is made up of senior technical staff from all the teams, met twice over the weekend to thrash out a solution. Lowe said the only fair course of action for the rest of the season was to return to the Valencia regulations.

"That was the case with [the mid-1990s ban on] traction control and the FIA decided it was unpoliceable for a number of years until they brought in the standard ECU," Lowe said. "Just because you have regulations it doesn't mean they are always policeable, [especially] if they are complex and difficult to interpret and difficult to measure. The best regulations are things that are measured in millimetres or weighed in grams. What the TWG have a duty to do is create regulations that are clear and policeable and I think this is a clear case of that."
#265549
Exhaust Saga F1's 'Biggest Farce' - Lauda:

Niki Lauda has slammed the "farce" of the Silverstone exhaust blown saga, questioning the motivation of the governing FIA. Throughout the British GP weekend, the rules about off-throttle engine exhaust blowing changed several times, with many observers wondering if the dominance of the Red Bull team was being directly targeted. "If that was so, it would be the greatest insolence. You can not punish someone just because he is better," triple World Champion Lauda told Germany's N-TV, referring to World Championship leader Sebastian Vettel. As for the Silverstone scandal, the great Austrian said it was "the biggest farce ever. Why change the rules in the middle of a season? The crucial thing is that absolutely no one was protesting; the practice (of exhaust blowing) was tacitly accepted by all the teams. Suddenly the FIA and Charlie Whiting had the idea to change the rules in the middle of the season. I personally don't understand it." Lauda said he was relieved when, late on Sunday, it emerged that the FIA had accepted the teams' unanimous request to return to the pre-clampdown rules of Valencia. "I very much hope that this absurdity stops now and we and the audience know at the Nurburgring in two weeks exactly what the rules are," he said.
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