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Red Bull pushing the limits - Gillan

The new exhaust exit on the RB8 was the subject of much attention on Saturday © Sutton Images

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Williams chief operations engineer Mark Gillan described Red Bull's new exhaust solution as "an interesting solution" but feels it's within the latest regulations.

Red Bull introduced a new exhaust layout on Saturday in Barcelona, with the exits positioned much further forward and being channelled down by bodywork towards the floor and the diffuser. It's a similar positioning to that being used by Sauber, and Gillan said that he had been monitoring the car during Saturday's running in case it's something Williams could adopt.

"With all these things it's not for me to question the legality of a team, that's down to the team and the FIA," Gillan said. "I look at our car and obviously we watch what others are doing very carefully and if we deem there's performance to be had there we'll be looking at it ourselves. They've got an interesting solution, and we've certainly looked at it."

When it was put to Gillan that Red Bull could be going beyond the regulation designed to ban the exhaust-blown diffuser, he said it was clear that the gases were being used aerodynamically but that he didn't think it was an illegal concept.

"I think it's fair to say we look at it and we can see what they're doing - what's happening. Obviously all teams go to the limit of where they perceive the regulations to be, provided of course that they're getting performance improvement from it.

"Re-ingestion of exhaust gases in to the bodywork (is banned). When it goes external it's a bit more vague."

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