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Rivals 'overestimate' blown diffuser benefits - Horner

ESPNF1 Staff
July 6, 2010 « Button confident of home win with updated McLaren | »
Christain Horner reckons his rivals are overestimating the potential of the blown diffuser © Getty Images
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Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes too much emphasis has been put on blown diffusers by rival teams and has warned them it might not offer the performance gains they are hoping for.

The system, which uses exhaust gases to improve the air flow to the diffuser, has been successfully running on the Red Bull since the start of the season. At the European Grand Prix Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault introduced the concept to their chassis in the hope of closing the gap to Red Bull, but experienced varied results. McLaren will introduce its version at this weekend's British Grand Prix, with some estimating the lap time benefit at half a second or more.

However, Horner has played down those predictions.

"Our rivals overestimate the benefits of the blown diffuser," he is quoted as saying by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "It's only about two or three tenths."

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel agrees and added that the exhaust system was part of a wider package on the RB6 that includes its alternative pull-rod suspension layout.

"It gives us a bit, but only together with the whole package, and that includes our rear suspension," he said. "That can't be copied during the season [due to chassis homologation rules]."

But Jenson Button is putting his trust in the upgraded McLaren ahead of his home race.

"Our package will really lift us into a good position where we can fight for a victory this weekend," he said. "It [the update] is very important for the rest of our season."

Ferrari, on the other hand, is not expecting the fast Silverstone layout to suit the F10, even though the new Arena section features some new slow corners.

"The track seems reasonably similar to the way it was, with a lot of very fast corners, which will not suit us that much," said Fernando Alonso.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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