Lotus: Exhaust blowing saga not over yet

F1′s ‘blown exhaust’ saga may not be over, according to Lotus team officials.

“For us, it is clear that the exhaust gases may not be used to alter the car’s aerodynamics,” said team boss Eric Boullier.

He is referring to the FIA’s ban on diffuser exhaust blowing, and the fact that major teams including McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull are being highly secretive of their 2012 solutions.

“We may see some strange things at the back of some cars which we will have to discuss, but let’s see,” Boullier said at Jerez ahead of the opening group test.

The problem, team technical boss James Allison explains, is that while the 2012 rules are much clearer, some loopholes may still exist.

“The area in which the exhaust can be located is still relatively large,” he is quoted by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

“Therefore, there are grey areas.

“Our position at the moment is that there is no controversy, but we are watching very closely how far the competition is going and how much the FIA will allow,” added Allison.

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