21/06/2011
NEWS STORY
A source has told Pitpass that it is unlikely that teams will attempt to change their engine mapping during Sunday's Grand Prix.
While the FIA's new clampdown means that teams are not allowed to change the engine mapping between the qualifying session and the race, it would be possible for teams to change the mapping once the race is underway. However, speaking to Pitpass an F1 insider said this was unlikely.
"The new rule forbids any ECU mapping changes between the start of qualifying (Q1) and the start of the race," said the source, "in other words you wouldn't be able to effect an ECU change until the first pitstop.
"As it would be too time-consuming to plug a laptop in during a pitstop," he continued, "this regulation effectively means that, for Valencia, cars should run the same suite of engine maps throughout qualifying and the race - as opposed to before, when you could plug in a laptop, re-configure the ECU mappings for quali, and then reset them in parc ferme ahead of the race."
Referring to Charlie Whiting's latest letter to the teams, he added: "The FIA's correspondence feels that Article 34.1 of the Sporting Regulations, which states that, in parc ferme, 'on board electrical units may be freely accessed via a physical connection to the car', is being interpreted inconsistently by the teams, so this re-interpretation effectively closes that loophole."