• Rule changes

Diffuser ban to go ahead

Red Bull are widely believed to have mastered the use of exhaust-blown diffusers off-throttle © Sutton Images

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The FIA's planned blown-diffuser ban from the British Grand Prix will go ahead following a meeting of Formula One's Technical Working Group.

The governing body wrote to the teams during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend to inform them of the new date having previously delayed the ban indefinitely. Initially the FIA wanted to ban the practice of blowing diffusers off-throttle from the Spanish Grand Prix but the teams managed to gain a temporary reprieve as they claimed it would prove costly and affect some teams more than others.

After the new date was announced, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told Autosport that he would be questioning whether the ban was a result of the correct interpretation of the rules.

"There are two issues," Horner said. "One is the impact of it, which I doubt will probably affect us any more or any less than any other team. But the other one is the mechanism and the understanding behind the technical directive. That is what will undoubtedly be debated in the TWG next week, which is probably the right forum to discuss it.

"There are certain questions that we want to ask about the technical directive that we need clarification on."

Following the meeting in London on Thursday, the FIA saw no reason to delay the ban any further. The news is encouraging to McLaren, who believe the result will impact Red Bull heavily, especially in qualifying trim, while Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali told Sporting Life that he hoped the ban will kickstart his team's season.

"We need to see at Silverstone what will be the change in effect with regard to the regulations about the exhaust," Domenicali said. "After Silverstone we will then be able to make a judgment, and if there is one, all I can say is that I hope it (the ban) affects us less than the others."

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