JUNE 11, 2011

Exhaust blown diffusers banned from Silverstone

Formula 1 teams are understood to have been told that hot and cold blown diffusers will be banned from the British Grand Prix at Silverstone onwards.

Formula 1 teams are understood to have been told that hot and cold blown diffusers will be banned from the British Grand Prix at Silverstone onwards.

A meeting of the technical working group at London's Heathrow airport next Thursday will discuss the ban's implementation. Going forward, from 2012 onwards, exhausts will have to exit 330mm behind the rear wheel centre line, which will naturally limit the influence of exhaust gases on aerodynamics.

Quite what the effect of the ban will be on the current levels of F1 car performance for the rest of this season remains to be seen. McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: "I don't think it will fundamentally change the picture but it will hurt some more than others and depending on how optimistic you are feeling on a particular day, you'd like to believe it will hurt others more than you.

"Who's exploiting these tactics the most, has been a moving feast. I think you can hear changes and differences this weekend in some teams, which presumably will not be there when we get to Silverstone."

Asked whether it was too simplistic to assume that the ban will hurt championship leaders Red Bull more than most, given that they have been developing the concept longest, Whitmarsh smiled: "I hope not! We'll see..."