GP starts at 10. Will miss just over half of it.

So from what I understand, McLaren failed to achieve the new exhaust restrictions...so the FIA changed the rules.

You're kidding, right?

Red Bull boss Christian Horner and McLaren chief Martin Whitmarsh launched into a public row in a press conference at Silverstone today (Friday), as it emerged that significant concessions were being made in the rules clampdown on off-throttle exhaust blowing.

With most teams seeking ways to channel their exhaust gases in ways that offered aerodynamic benefits, systems had been created that allowed this effect to continue even when drivers lifted off the throttle – something the FIA decided was not within the spirit of the rules and was keen to prevent.

But with engine manufacturers and teams concerned about potential reliability implications, various concessions have been negotiated – meaning that Renault-powered cars such as the Red Bull can keep 50 per cent throttle opening when the drivers lift off, and the Mercedes engines as used by McLaren have concessions pertaining to their over-run.
This led to a heated exchange between the two leading team bosses in front of the world's media today, with Whitmarsh vehemently criticising the timing of the announcement of the Renault allowance, which came during morning practice at Silverstone.

“We learned halfway through the session that Christian hadn't lost as much as we expected, as obviously the rules are slightly fluid and appear to change by the hour at the moment, so we are still learning,” said Whitmarsh.

“It is not a criticism of Red Bull. They have got to try to get the best they can out of the situation.

“I think we were all a little bit surprised when it appeared from whatever we'd been told that the regulations changed halfway through P1. I am sure that put many teams this weekend a little bit on the back foot, so we are trying to cope with that at the moment.”

He added: "I think the expectation is that when you are off the throttle the engine throttles would be closed – but there has been a negotiation and as I understand Renault's throttles are 50 per cent open under braking and I think that is probably not what most of us expected coming into this event.”

Horner argued that the Renault concession was no more significant than the allowances made to Mercedes, as all tweaks had been based on evidence of how the engines were configured before off-throttle exhaust blowing became an issue.

“My understanding is that Mercedes are firing on over-run,” he said.

“There has been a series of technical directives that have happened since Valencia and the latest technical directive is quite clear in that engines that have been run in previous configurations the FIA would take into account on an equitable basis.

“Mercedes argued that their over-running that they currently do was permitted, which was granted I believe on certain handling characteristics that if offered on a historical basis, and Renault is no different to that.

“Renault is in a situation as an engine supplier, not just to Red Bull but to two other teams as well, where again precedents have been set in 2009 and 2010.”

He suggested that there might be some annoyance that a rule clarification that many had expected to peg Red Bull's dominance back was now unlikely to do so.

“Coming here obviously a lot of focus has been placed on Red Bull,” Horner said.

“Do Red Bull have a silver bullet on their car? We don't, but at the same time we expect the FIA to regulate in a fair and proper manner and that's exactly what they have done in this case.

“They are the only ones with all the facts. They are the only ones with the data. They have looked at it.

“They have listened to Mercedes’ case and allowed Mercedes certain parameters. They have looked at Renault's case and they have allowed Renault certain parameters, based on an historical content if you like, on what is a very, very complex subject that perhaps would have been better dealt with at the end of the season when the exhausts move to a completely different location which will remove an awful lot of the emotion that seems to surround this topic.”

Whitmarsh agreed that the timing of the debate was as big an issue as the decisions themselves.

“I think that with the benefit of hindsight, it would have been better to make changes at year end, which I think Christian would agree,” he said.

“I think that to do this and to do it in a fairly cloudy and ambiguous and changing way… inevitably, in a competitive environment, every team feels that it's been hard done by.”

Lotus team boss Tony Fernandes, who was also present in the media conference, said the row and the handling of the rules controversy reflected badly on Formula 1.

“As someone who is very new to the sport, I think it's a little bit of a shambles that we're having these kinds of discussions,” he said.

“I think you don't have that in many other sports.

“The rules should be very clear, everyone should understand them and they should be pretty black and white.”

Webber on pole by 0.032. Good work son. Nothing better than seeing Hamilton way back in 10th though.

Di Resta and Koba put up a good show. Disappointed we didn't see more spills, Alonso should be DQ'd from that incident in Q1 tbh.

Also forgot Maldonado. I did not see what happened?

Indiscretion?
KOBA is my favourite driver. Disappointing he is out