Williams & Caterham’s exhausts illegal

The new 2013 Formula One season might still be just under a month away, but the FIA have already stepped in to lay down the law.

Williams only unveiled their new 2013 car on Tuesday, but already Formula One’s governing body has deemed it’s exhaust design illegal and has also stated that Caterham’s similar design breaks the current regulations.

In recent years the airflow around the back end of the car has proved to be crucial in regards to teams gaining a performance advantage, the design of a teams blown diffuser could make or break your season with 2009 being a clear example of this when Jenson Button and Brawn GP ran away with both the drivers title and constructors title during the first half of that season.

Both the Williams team and Caterham have added extra bodywork around the exhaust, with vanes appearing to aid the way the gases work for aerodynamic effect around the new Coanda exhausts.

But following the FIA’s intervention the teams will be forced to re-evaluate ahead of the opening Grand Prix of the season in Australia.

‘We are continuing to evaluate a range of options at the pre-season tests as per our normal program.’ A Caterham spokesperson told the BBC, while a Williams spokesperson added: ‘The team are now seeking further clarification on this and a decision as to whether this design will be carried forward will be made before the first race.’

The news apparently didn’t seem to affect Williams driver Pastor Maldonando, the Venezuelan opting instead to concentrate on the positives of his new car, of which there are plenty as the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix winner declared that it was the best Williams car he’s had in three seasons of winter testing.

‘It is a standard Coanda. [There are] things we are testing and doing some experiments in the car for the future. We are really looking forward and we know very well the rules and we are looking forward to getting 100% not only from the exhaust, all [of] the car.

‘I’m 100% sure we will be there in Melbourne fighting for good places.’

‘I’m very happy with the car because it’s the best car I’ve had – especially in the first test for the previous years,’ he told reporters.

‘Last year the car was quite good, competitive all through the year, but I think there is a clear step forward in this car. he told Sky Sports.