Tech bosses agree to blown exhaust ban

Blown exhaust technology looks set to be banned completely for the 2012 season.

Despite the FIA having already moved to outlaw the use of engine gas as an aerodynamic aid, there were rumours in the Abu Dhabi paddock that the ban might not actually go through.

Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP F1 Team exhaust

Photo by: xpb.cc

The problem was that Red Bull and McLaren are understood to have argued against the governing body's latest rules for 2012 on the basis they are now too far advanced with the design of their cars for next year.

The suspicion was that they had identified loopholes in the 2012 rules and might continue to find an aerodynamic benefit from the exhausts.

Auto Motor und Sport reports, however, that the exhaust controversy "has ended" for now after a meeting at Yas Marina.

The rules, agreed by the technical directors, will make it "almost impossible" to utilise the exhaust gases for an aerodynamic gain.

The next step is the signing off by the team bosses via fax.

"That is not as easy as it sounds," the German report reads. "While the engineers think pragmatically, their bosses always have an ulterior motive."