Exhaust blown diffusers and FIA restrictions/ban

[myurr]

So 100% hot blow is equivalent to 500% cold blow? Says a lot about the Red Bull if that's the case.

But more likely says that this is not the case.

FIA are a total shambles on this. They seem incapable of policing their own rules, and unable to come up with coherent and consistently applied rules.

There are two weeks until the next GP which is enough time for all the teams to fabricate new exhausts no matter how unoptimised they are. As far as I'm concerned the only fair way to resolve this and stop the teams using, effectively, active aero is to bring forward next years rules on exhaust positions. All the teams will be able to bring something along those lines to the next race if they REALLY had to, and could then be free to optimise them over the rest of the season.

This would stop top teams from cheating by actively mechanically blowing air solely for aero purposes (it's as much cheating as fitting a fan, and no more innovative except in the interpretation of the rules); and it would be easy to police universally and consistently.

[donskar]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/92870

In a round about way, Newey is pointing at Ferrari. I would not be surprised given the sport's past history. Thoughts?

Charlie Whiting has been quoted saying it was a team that asked for a clarification, but not Ferrari. HRT seems more likely, Kolles threatened to protest the whole grid after all.

A reminder for the Ferarri haters from autosport.com today:
"With the HRT team having publicly declared that it was considering a protest against other teams over the issue if nothing was done by the FIA . . ."

[Dragonfly]

FIAsco
That's all.

[donskar]

myurr wrote:

FIA are a total shambles on this. They seem incapable of policing their own rules, and unable to come up with coherent and consistently applied rules.

Agree completely on "shambles." IMHO the problem is that the FIA wants closer racing for bigger profits. NASCAR openly and unashamedly juggles rules to ensure close racing. (I am NOT a fan of NASCAR.) FIA is moving in the same direction, but very awkwardly.

FIA is really after (IMHO) a spec car series - they just don't want to make it look that way. The bottom line on all this fiasco is that brilliant technical minds are NOT welcome in F1. Every time one of them (often, but not always Newey) comes up with an idea that offers an advantage, that idea must be banned. If the trend continues the futue of F1 (IMHO) will be a standard "claimer" engine/KERS, with spec gearbox, installed in a spec chassis, with spec brakes AND spec wings. Suspension settings will be free. Bodywork will be very tightly controlled. The long-term future of F1 is a "Super" FF or FV, solar powered. Ugh!

[Lorenzo_Bandini]

Domenicalli to Whitmarsh:
"The fuc**** are doing it again"

AWESOME

[horse]

This is from Andrew Benson's article:

Renault, by contrast, does not fuel its engine on the over-run and argued that it should be allowed to compensate by opening the throttles to a specific amount, something it says it has always done to ensure reliability.

The FIA has accepted Renault's argument and the French company will now be allowed to run its engines on 50% throttle when the driver is not pressing the accelerator.

So the Renault engine has to put air through the pistons when it is decelerating? Why would that be? Heat?

[Ferraripilot]

Is the Fia going to allow Renault to get away with this 50% off-throttle business? Literally every else without a Renault engine is being thrown under the bus on this one.

[ecapox]

Sweet, so now Ranault engines are allowed to blow 68% 'cold blow' and Mercedes engines are allowed to blow 50% 'hot blow'. Ferrari and Cosworth are allowed 10% 'cold blow'.

Like someone said earlier. This is either 6 months to late, or 6 months to early.

[ecapox]

Is the Fia going to allow Renault to get away with this 50% off-throttle business? Literally every else without a Renault engine is being thrown under the bus on this one.

Merdeces engines can do one thing.
Renault engines can do something different.
Ferrari and Cosworth abide by the 10% cold blow rule.

therefore the FIA 10% cold blow rule is aimed at Ferrari and Cosworth (as if Cosworth actually does this.....)

[Jakef90]

Surely if ferrari and cosworth are limited to only 10% then they will kick up a fuss now aswell?

This could end up an endless argument unless the FIA stick to a final decision and stop being swayed. It's all very interesting tho.

[horse]

Red Bull gets 11th-hour boost over blown diffusers

The original intention had been to limit teams to just 10 per cent - but that was then increased marginally to 20 per cent at 18,000rpm after preliminary discussions with teams.

However, following lobbying from Renault, the engine manufacturer argued that it needed even more throttle use for engine reliability related to the exhaust valves.

The new limit was agreed as late as Friday morning, and it counters a concession handed to rival Mercedes-Benz ahead of Silverstone - which has been allowed to keep firing half its cylinders as engine over run in a bid to ease crank case pressure.

The FIA's decision has provided a dramatic twist to the blown diffuser saga, and could have significant implications on the competitive order because it is understood that Red Bull Racing had only been running at 45 per cent throttle flow before the rules clarification was made by the FIA.

So Mercedes pulled a "we've got to hot blow some of the cylinders" and then Renault countered with "we've always cold blown at 50% throttle", all with the excuse that the engines will fail if they don't do this. But Mercedes have lost this game as Red Bull seem to have recovered everything they had to start with and they've only got half of it back. As for Ferrari, well I'm amazed someone in red hasn't gone and punched Charlie Whiting by now.

[Byronrhys]

If red protest I have no problem with it, they have been played in this stupid fiasco.

[bill shoe]

So the FIA has issued a Technical Bulletin (new rules) during a practice session. The new rules are not the same for all engine manufacturers. The new rules address issues that have been public knowledge for ~ 2 years.

If the FIA wants to do this style of rule making then they shouldn't be half-ass about it.

For example, don't change the rules during practice-- wait until the race has already started. Then Charlie Whiting can spin a giant wheel to determine what rule to change and by how much. Partial exemptions from the new rules will be granted on the basis of releasing a chicken into the pitlane and observing which garage it walks into. The FIA then holds a press conference to calmly explain why the process is fair. Meanwhile, teams will write new software maps or fabricate new parts to put on the cars during pits stops.

[axle]

If they can't agree something mapping related then the FIA should just move the exhaust exits with immediate effect. By saying the exhaust has to exit 10cm above the ref plain and 5cm after the rear edge of the diffuser or something like that...will feck up Renaults FEE most but it's a minor issue.

On the subject of the ban...no concessions should be made. They had enough time to map around any problems. And if any concessions were made they should be blanket ones...

[Byronrhys]

If any team can run more percentage than another then that should be the benchmark for everyone, it would be unfair because they would be gaining an advantage even though they are cooling there whatever... to think Renault is the one always asking for parity.