Exhaust Design is equivalent to Double Diffuser, Feels Ross Brawn

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Ross Brawn reckons forward exhausts could have a bigger impact on this year's title race than the double diffuser had when his team won in 2009.

The Mercedes team boss, referring to the controversial diffuser designs of 2009 and 2010 that have now been banned, said he thinks the emergence of clever exhaust layouts could become a huge performance differentiator in Formula 1.

The double diffuser design gave his Brawn GP team a significant advantage over their rivals with Jenson Button winning six of the opening seven grands prix.

And although Brawn's rivals closed the gap as they introduced and became familiar with the double diffusers, Button's points-advantage by that stage was too great and he went on to win the title while Brawn GP won the Constructors' Championship.

This year again sees an innovate design being introduced into Formula One in the shape of the forward exhaust, which is particularly noticeable on Lotus Renault's R31.

The front exiting exhaust exits on the new Renault surprised the Formula 1 world when the R31 was launched, and Brawn said teams are also "working with their engine partners to make the most of the exhaust energy".

"This is an interesting new development," admitted the Briton.

"The nature of Formula 1 is that the interpretation of the regulations is a challenge for the engineers.

"It is very rare for people in Formula 1 to cheat, but what engineers do is push the limits of what they are allowed to do."

Brawn said that while the double diffusers did push the bounds of the regulations, the new blown exhaust era is slightly different.

"I think it's a great idea, and I don't think it poses a regulatory problem so I don't see why it should be controversial," he explained.

He also added, "We may find in the future that that is not where we want to be and we will change the regulations to control it, and in 2013 we only have one exhaust and it is a turbo engine and the whole thing will change again so there are lots of differences coming - but it is a fascinating area and all within the spirit of F1."