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reports (at least one from german language publication "auto motor und sport") say, the FIA ruled that engine mapping for 2013 has to adhere to the same reference mapping the teams had used in 2012 - apparently renault's interpretation was, that they could start all over with a new reference mapping...

Ross Brawn was quick stating that this would explain the approach of both - Lotus and RBR - exhaust-layout wise as the new mapping could have had a positive effect on the coanda-ramp layout in off-throttle situations...

link (german): http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/formel-1/motorkennfelder-wie-2012-mapping-schlappe-fuer-renault-6667636.html

Auch. If true, and they have to revert back to the old mapping, this could be a major setback for Lotus and Red Bull if they have indeed designed their cars based on some new mapping.

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Räikkönen - Vettel - Rosberg - Bottas

Engine Freeze is bad but Management freeze is taking the piss.

Don't forget that this will also affect the Merc and Ferrari engined cars too.

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Disclaimer: The above post maybe tongue in cheek.

"I thought I'd get your theories, mock them, then embrace my own. The usual."

I didn't even know there was a clamp down on engine mapping last year. I'm pretty sure teams were able to change most settings from race to race. It would be odd that they have a clampdown now.

let me explain/excerpt from the article:

so Renault thought they would be able to define a new reference-mapping for 2013, which apparently the aren't..

nothing will affect redbull and nothing did really , everything thrown at them and they only emerge as winners at the end

You never know - and we will have to wait and see! The whole engine mapping and off throttle blowing issue was critical to the initial use of the EBD and RBR in particular. The Renault engine mapping variation (percentage) was set to partly reduce the EBD effect IIRC. Given that exhaust gases are now more restricted, the overall effect of retention of the previous engine mapping rules should not be too great, unless they did design in some new interpretation in the base design? - but I doubt it....

FIA banned EBD specifically to eliminate redbull advantage , and what did they do in 2012 ? yeah they won both championships

And did it eliminate the RBR advantage - yes. We had a damn close championship all season.

Now, if the FIA are further clamping down on any attempt at RBR to re-gain that advantage, it could see other teams either close that gap or push past RBR by making greater gains between seasons than RBR...

We won't know if there is any effect until Oz though...

YAY

When the FIA issued the non-public technical directive on this subject last year, the reports were that it specified the teams must choose a "standard" engine map used at one of the four opening races, which must then be approved by the FIA, and then torque curves above 6,000rpm on subsequent maps must not vary by +/- two percent from that "standard" engine map.

If that is what it says, you can bet Renault and friends are arguing that the FIA should have specified "one of the four opening races of the 2012 Formula 1 World Championship season" or similar, if they meant that the map chosen last year would apply for this year too. Yet another reason I wish the FIA were more transparent with its technical documents.

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@Ashley: Yeah the FIA are known to goof up many a times, but to be fair on them, many times the teams do things knowingly just to see if they can get away with it. Every person has a different way of interpreting a bunch of words in their own way, no matter how airtight the FIA thinks their rules are.

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Chi13: 3rd

By transparent I meant so that we can read them, and know what the debate is about first hand rather than read a reporter's synopsis of what he thinks the directive might say. IMSA, Grand Am...they post tech bulletins on their website for all to see. You're not getting an FIA bulletin without a competitor log-in.

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Rules are not what FIA think they are, but rules are actual text. Teams must only comply with wording.

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Renault!

2012 Planet F1 Prediction Competition Champion

That's the problem. The wording is always ambiguous where the FIA rule book is concerned. You would think that after all these years of people taking advantage of loopholes that exists as a result of the way the rules are worded that they would have found a way to nail it down by now. Clearly, in a manner that cannot be deliberately or undeliberatly misunderstood or misconstrued.

They can't.

Ever stop to think they deliberately word things ambiguously to allow some room for real development? I don't think the rule writers are as dumb as they get credit for being.

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This.

If that were true Ashley, then they wouldn't crack down on teams every time someone finds a loophole that's worth exploiting. Ever stop to think about that?

I didnt call them dumb mind you. Hell, Charlie Whiting is anything but dumb. What you say could be a possibility. But then the question is, Most of Paddock does complain about the lack of stability in the rules. I guess that was also cited as one of the reason why maufacturers are no willing to enter. So if the rules remain stable say for atleast 5 years for example, you can only develop and redevelop a part for so long. What then?

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They are not dumb, they just can't compete against army of engineers from 11 teams. FIA doesn't have money to compete. All FIA can do is to close all loopholes after they are spotted. Still remember that something like 99% of F1 rules is bulletproof.

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Renault!

2012 Planet F1 Prediction Competition Champion

NO - I just think they can't be arsed to spend 10,000 hours considering every possible interpretation that teams might come up with and write 10 million rules to make sure they all can't be implemented.

Instead, they know what they mean and write up a quick rule, wait for teams to try and circumvent it and then adjust the rule where they think teams are pushing too far...

They don't "crack down" on them every time. Things have been allowed to stand. Probably more than we hear about. Hence my point about the lack of transparency in the process.

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you think the guys at the FIA didn't think about the coanda-effect, which has been succsessfully described to the public by a guy using a spoon and water? there is no way the rule-writers didn't see that development coming... maybe they just knew that teams would have to find a compromise between the coke-bottle shape and the coanda ramp but they knew what direction the teams would go...

probably not every loophole is on purpose - that's why stuff like f-duct and ddrs was ruled out, but they do leave some spots open since it would hamper the spirit of f1 too much if they regulated it entirely ... F1 is not a spec-series, it needs development and different approaches so there must be room for that...

Not as badly since I believe only the Renault cars have the coanda ramp.

It'll limit what they can do as the season goes on. Limits their development routes.

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Disclaimer: The above post maybe tongue in cheek.

"I thought I'd get your theories, mock them, then embrace my own. The usual."

Thanks for this high-tech, behind-scenes info, Egnat69. Sounds as if it could have a significant effect on some cars.

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http://grandprixratings.blogspot.com

Auto Motor und Sport interviewed Permane who denied this having any effect on their performance. Apparently Kimi used the new engine mapping during one warm up lap and hated it. Grosjean used it in the wet once and it was ok.

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Räikkönen - Vettel - Rosberg - Bottas

Well, with the season opening soon, and with the Honeywell deal not confirmed yet, he couldn't very well say " we blew it, we're f*cked, why oh why..." after all, it's PR standard procedure to deny all repercussions and look as if everything is a bed of roses. Even if maybe the only things from the roses you've got are the spines in the back, you gotta look good in the media, no matter what. Everybody does it.

Just by looking, for instance, at 2012's qualifying statements, there were races where everybody was happy. RedBull were happy, Lotus were happy...etc...etc... Caterham were happy, Marussia were happy, HRT were happy, one big happy family. At least statements -wise.

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Olivier Panis fan.
...and also Jenson Button fan.