Blown Diffuser Ban Confirmed

The FIA have confirmed that they still plan to go ahead with the 'off the throttle' blown diffuser design with effect from the British Grand Prix next month.
This is expected to cause issues for the teams who rely heavily on this, particularly the Renault, Red Bull and Mercedes teams, as the engines will need to be remapped.

It is reported that Mercedes have actually lost several engines whilst testing the new requirements, so this may mean that some teams begin to struggle more with reliability issues from Silverstone onwards.

Also confirmed is that with effect from 2012, blown diffusers will be banned outright. It was initially thought that alternative would be that the exhausts would be positioned just over the top of the diffuser at the back of the car, giving a minimal downforce gain. However, it has instead been confirmed that a 'periscope' style exhaust - as used in the sport in the 80's and 90's - will be mandated instead.

This will mean that the teams will need to find alternative ways of creating downforce, as the blown diffuser is credited by many as being the one single design feature which has made the Red Bulls the dominant team that they presently are.

Additionally, an advantage to the fans is that with the new 'periscope' exhausts, spectators should be able to see flames from the exhaust exits which were previously hidden.

For a more detailed explanation of this, visit scarbsf1.wordpress.com

Exhaust Management Systems Ban To Be Introduced

The FIA have announced that they intend to ban the use of certain exhaust management systems used by many of the top teams. However, after an appeal by the teams, it has been agreed that the use of the system can continue to be used for the next three races.

This ban was expected by some, click here for our previous story.

The exhaust management system in question produces exhaust waste even when drivers lift off the throttle, which keeps the gasses flowing through the diffuser, maintaining a high level of downforce.

Without these exhaust gasses, downforce would be significantly reduced at a time when the driver requires it most - whilst cornering.

However, the production of the additional exhaust waste requires additional fuel, which at a time when Formula One is moving towards a greener image, is not really acceptable to the sport's bosses.

However, the stay of execution has been given, as teams have argued that their engines will require re-mapping, in order to stop them operating in this way.

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Brawn: New Exhausts "Significant"

Mercedes GP boss Ross Brawn has explained that he believes that the new exhaust systems, trialled by several teams this season, will be very effective.

Brawn also claims that the exhaust could be "more significant" than the double diffusers, widely credited for helping the Brawn team win their World Championship winning 2009 season.

The front-blown exhaust design was first unveiled by Lotus-Renault, but several other teams have also followed suit, as the design is shown to improve downforce, and therefore handling.

Brawn believes that in the future, stricter rules may well be introduced to unify the designs of the exhaust systems, but for the time being he does not think they will pose any regulatory problems.

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