Formula one: ‘Diffuser ban hurting Red Bull’

Adrian Newey admits banning of exhaust blown diffuser is hurting Red Bull’s competitiveness this season

Adrian Newey admits the banning of the exhaust blown diffuser is hurting Red Bull’s competitiveness this season, according to ESPNF1. Having pioneered the concept throughout the 2010 and 2011 seasons, the FIA, the sport’s governing body, outlawed diffuser blowing for this year. With Sebastian Vettel having secured a dominant world championship victory last season, neither Red Bull driver currently tops the standings as their advantage has all but disappeared, and Newey told Autosport that the regulation change had affected Red Bull more than the other teams.  “It’s pretty much as we feared before the season started,” said Newey. “Having explored exhaust blowing technology quite heavily for two seasons and then having that taken away together with other changes like the front wing flexibility [test rules], hurt us quite a lot.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2012.