• European Grand Prix

Rule changes should have been postponed - Boullier

Eric Boullier: "Obviously it is something that we would have loved to have postponed" © Sutton Images

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• In Focus:
• Rule changes

• News:
• Whiting defends engine map rule
  
• News:
• Valencia clampdown on engine maps
  

• Drivers:
• Eric Boullier
• |
• Nick Heidfeld

• Teams:
• Renault

Renault boss Eric Boullier believes the impending ban on engine map changes between qualifying and the race should have been postponed until 2012.

The FIA is keen to clampdown on the use of off-throttle blown diffusers and is taking action at the European Grand Prix to stop teams from pushing the concept to extremes in qualifying. In order to do so it has ordered that the cars run the same engine maps in qualifying and the race, a change in the regulations that Boullier believes would be better suited to the close season than in between races.

"Obviously it is something that we would have loved to have postponed until next year, because we do consider it to be more of a change in regulations than an adjustment - it's a difference in interpretation," he said. "But we have to deal with what the FIA wants and we will try not to suffer too much from this."

Renault driver Nick Heidfeld revealed that the ban would not just effect the blown diffusers but would have wider consequences.

"The fact that we are not allowed to change settings between quali and the race is, for me, going a bit too far in what we can and cannot change," he is quoted by Autosport. "For example, we wouldn't even be allowed to change the pit lane speed limit between quali and the race, so if we saw that we were a little too quick during quali we would not be allowed to change it.

"That's why it is too far. In the past we have been able to change the differential and make some small adjustments between quali and the race but that is not allowed anymore. It's not a huge thing, but I don't understand it.

"The idea was mainly to change it for the engines to have the blowing the same between quali and the race but now they have disallowed any changes."

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