It was Williams who pushed the FIA to clamp down on ever-sophisticated blown exhaust solutions.
That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, amid earlier suspicions that Virgin had complained loudest as they fall behind in the crucial new area of F1 car development.

In June, the off-throttle blowing of exhaust gases will be limited by 90 per cent, and Autosprint in Italy claims exhaust-blown diffusers could be banned altogether for the start of 2012.

There is no doubt the FIA crackdown was motivated by a team, and the early suspect was Virgin. “But it was Williams,” a report by Auto Motor und Sport said.

“A ban … would have affected us less than the leading teams because we … are quite a long way behind on the engine mapping side,” Virgin team boss John Booth admitted to Reuters.

It emerges that Cosworth, engine supplier to both Williams and Virgin, is struggling to keep up with its rivals in the area of off-throttle engine mapping.

Red Bull’s Adrian Newey said the ban will affect all the top teams more or less equally.

“Everyone has this technology and the exhaust solutions are very similar,” he said. “I cannot tell you whether the ban will be a relative advantage or a disadvantage (for Red Bull),” he added.

“It doesn’t affect only the engine suppliers, we have to react on the chassis side too. If the exhaust gases can’t flow consistently any more, it will have a significant influence on the balance,” said Newey.

Also disappointed is Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn.

“The teams and engine manufacturers have invested a lot of money in this technology that is now thrown out of the window,” he said.

Williams’ third co-owner has admitted the British team considered changing engine suppliers for the 2011 season.

Lotus is set to switch to Renault power at the end of the season, but Cosworth has announced that its other existing partners – Williams, HRT and Virgin – are staying put.

In an interview with Kleine Zeitung newspaper, Austrian Toto Wolff – who has a minority stake in the Frank Williams and Patrick Head co-owned team – admitted there have been disappointments in 2010.

“In a sporting sense, the beginning of the season was difficult because the expectations in the team were very high,” he said.

“Maybe we were a little bit too optimistic about the engine,” admitted Wolff.

Reports earlier this year said Williams was disappointed with the Cosworth V8, and had held talks with potential alternative supplier Renault.

Wolff hinted that the engine situation was indeed “discussed” within the Grove based team, but “not seriously considered”.

“In the last weeks Cosworth has found its stride,” he said.

And there are other problems for Williams, former racing driver and businessman Wolff insists.

“Above all the teams’ agreement about personnel restrictions was too loose,” he said.

“This was a disadvantage for us, so now it should be precisely formulated for a reasonable cost base for 2011,” added Wolff.

“The team is going well economically and was – and is – profitable,” he insisted.

“Williams is losing two sponsors next year but there are good discussions with potential new partners.”

Wolff also indicated that, alongside Rubens Barrichello, German rookie Nico Hulkenberg is set to stay at Williams next year.

“Of all the young drivers he is probably the best at the moment,” he said.  “He is actually remarkable; only the experience is missing.

“I feel quite comfortable with this driver combination.  My word has at least as much weight as the others on the board, and this applies to the drivers as well.”

Renault’s formula one team has rubbished rumours suggesting the pacesetting Red Bull Racing is set to switch engine suppliers for 2011.

The rumour has already been denied by Force India, who were apparently to the be the recipient of the Renault power plant next year while Red Bull moved to Mercedes.

Enstone based Renault is now majority owned by Genii Capital and essentially separate to the French carmaker, but team boss Eric Boullier nonetheless said those engine rumours are “nonsense”.

The rumours have also been played down by Mercedes, as well as McLaren, who have the contractual right to veto a Red Bull/Mercedes deal.

Meanwhile, Boullier told the La Libre newspaper that Belgian GP2 driver Jerome d’Ambrosio, already with a relationship with Renault, is likely to test the F1 car in Abu Dhabi in November.

It is also reported that d’Ambrosio could test another car – possibly the Virgin – at the young driver test.

“He has shown lately that he deserves it.  Let’s say it is a good option,” said Boullier, also admitting that Czech driver Jan Charouz is a contender for the young driver test.

The team’s French boss also indicated that changes will be made to Renault’s young driver programme for 2011.

“It will continue but in another form.  We are considering an academy, a bit like Ferrari’s, with young drivers able to test a (2009 F1 car) R29,” said Boullier.