Renault driver Nick Heidfeld criticises FIA for engine-mapping rule – Formula 1 news
Renault’s Formula 1 driver Nick Heidfeld has criticised the International Automobile Federation’s (FIA) new rule about the engine mapping which is going to be implemented from the European Grand Prix of the 2011 Formula 1 season.
Heidfeld stated that using different engine configurations in the qualifiers and in the race has been used in Formula 1 in recent past and has been legal since then. However, the FIA has suddenly declared it illegal for the 2011 Formula 1 season.
Heidfeld further commented that the effects of the engine-mapping clampdown on the Renault team are still to be seen but altogether the rule is going too far in Formula 1.
Heidfeld stated, “I'm very interested myself in finding out how that will affect us, because nobody knows. You can guess and make some assumptions, but I don't know. I hope that it will somehow benefit us, but it's very hard to know what effect it will have
on us and the others.”
Heidfeld added that, “I don't really know why something that, to my knowledge, until now has been perfectly legal is changing in the middle of the season. But that's the way it is and we have to work with it.”
He further commented that the effects of the engine-mapping change are going to change the team’s strategy in the qualifiers and the race.
He explained that if the pit lane speed in qualifiers is a little higher then the team will have to go for the same in the race as well.
It is believed before the Blown Diffuser could hurt the performance of the teams in the ongoing 2011 season, FIA’s current ban on the engine-mapping changes between qualifiers and the race is going to affect teams’ performance to some extent.
Heidfeld stated that firstly the instructions from the FIA only permitted teams not to change the blowing of the engine but now the whole package cannot be changed.
The Valencia Grand Prix’s Free Practice session will be contested on Friday and it will be interesting to see how Heidfeld and his team cope up with the changes.
Tags: