Yes and it will give me the opportunity to repeat my opinion that it's why manufacturer teams are not good for F1.
Engine clarification may hurt Red Bull, Lotus Tuesday 26th February 2013, 14:28 by TF1T Staff © Lotus F1 Team, LAT Photographic Red Bull and Lotus may suffer as a result of the FIA's recent clarification on engine mapping in 2013 - a practice which is highly beneficial if unregulated. Both the Renault powered outfits are believed to have designed their exhaust systems with 'off-throttle blowing' in mind, despite the FIA clamping down on the act during the latter stages of 2012. In effect, thanks to clever engine mapping, the driver can come off the throttle in a corner, but the engine still delivers 100% of its power, thus creating large amounts of exhaust gasses to improve downforce. A technical directive was released in August of last year to stop the practice, with teams having to adopt a standard map from the four they used in the opening four races. Ferraris engine boss Luca Marmorini believes this still stands, whereby they must use one of the four maps from last season in 2013. He was quoted as saying: Everything remains the same." Remi Taffin, his counterpart at Renault Sport F1, thinks differently and believes they can start from scratch by running four maps in the opening four races, then electing to choose one of those for the remaining 15. "The directive referred exclusively to last year," he added. The governing body however, it seems, has agreed with Ferrari's stance and therefore both Red Bull and Lotus may be forced to adapt their exhaust systems as it's likely they have been designed to fully utilise the 'illegal' practice.
So Renault (and Red Bull?) thought they could create a new map which circumvented the obvious intent by the FIA to prevent off-throttle engine emissions? And they designed their cars around this belief? That seems like a risky way to go about their business.
well I dunno... last season they had four maps and after the first four races they had to choose one and stay with it... I *think* they decided that they could claim that they expected this season to be the same, four maps / four races / choose one. It seems that their understanding of the rule versus the way Ferrari looked at it (same map as last year) were slightly "different".
So it looks like Sutil will be getting the seat with Force India... More experience, and more importantly, more money than Bianchi...
musical chairs.... Luiz Razia could turn out to be a rare driver who can say he had a full time F1 race seat, but never got a race in it check bounced? Kovalainen looks like he might be back...
Thanks, Greg, nice piccies. Interesting bumps on the red car. Where does a monkey sit on the Red Bull these days? Poor thing must get tired.