The blown diffuser saga could be ended tomorrow if all 12 teams sign a letter agreeing to return to the rules as they were in Valencia.
If agreement is reached then we will revert to the old interpretation of the rules for Germany, and the 10% throttle limit for Silverstone will have been a one-off.
In today’s hastily arranged meeting of the Technical Working Group all the teams bar Sauber and Williams provisionally agreed to the proposal. FOTA has taken on the task of composing the letter and getting it signed by all 12 teams, with Williams and Sauber expected to agree, having mulled over the consequences.
As suggested here earlier, a key part of the arrangement is that all the teams will have to agree not to protest on the matter in the future. It was the threat of protests that led to the clampdown in the first place.
In effect the FIA is acknowledging that despite its best efforts, it has proved impossible to come up with a solution to the problem of controlling blown diffusers that keeps everybody happy.
The problem goes away next year because exhausts will have to be directed away from the diffuser, so it will be impossible for anyone to gain any benefits.
Sam Michael of Williams told this blog that the other teams now have a better understanding of why there were concessions related to the Renault and Mercedes engines: “One thing we did get out of this morning’s meeting was a lot more clarity on what the Renault and Mercedes issues were, which we didn’t really know about. So that was made clear in the meeting – not 100%, but we have a better idea.”
Adam Cooper F1 
So, if your contention is true, who payed off HRT?
So the only conclusion from that is that HRT sold their vote as part of the Ricciardo pay driver deal this week.
Given the goings on this week its hard to work out who would have been signing that deal with Red Bull! Ignoring that its then likely that theyve bought him a drive in a car that wont be able to get within 107% in qualifying for the final few races of the season if Red Bull continue improving at the expected rate and HRT keep basically the same package.
Just as oddly we have Ferrari being completely silent on the issue publically, in the same week that we are expected to believe that they decided all on their own to drop their tobacco sponsor from their official team name. Really?
There are so many strings being pulled behind the scenes currently by so many different people/groups that its utterly impossible to follow. Even the most ridiculous of conspiracy theories could are plausible at this stage.
But wait for it, there will be more… Just to mess up your mind even more, Wait until after Silverstone. Then the big news in the Formula One series will be delivered.
Although we are somewhat surprised about the Williams decision not to agree to the proposal.
Williams are often reticent and independent when it comes to towing the FOTA line. Renault have claimed for weeks to run a type of throttle-off blowing to provide exhaust valve cooling. Mercedes claims to keep firing half its cylinders off-throttle to ease crank pressure. This was allowed after Mercedes, said it needed more than the agreed 20% off-throttle flow to maintain reliability of its engine. This in return triggered the Renault powered teams to ask for an exemption as well, motivated by their need to cool the exhaust valves. The rock and hard place that Charlie Whiting is in is that much of what Mercedes and Renault are doing recieved FiA blessing a long time ago, but now there is complaints of unfair advantage and so he is expected to act. Hence the agreement by all teams to tollerate the status quo until the end of the year.
What must be making everyone nervous is that Ferrari are quiet, probably because they are not using the off-throttle blowing technique a lot, or at least not as extreme as some other teams were doing. And all the while they inch closer to Red Bull.
It seems you can always count on Williams to be contrary.
Ferrari had Sauber do the objecting for them.