Blown exhaust clampdown ’favours Ferrari’ - Marko

Dr Helmut Marko has continued to rail against the FIA’s controversial clampdown on blown exhausts.

Italy’s La Stampa newspaper quotes the Austrian as suspecting Red Bull’s rivals moved to outlaw the technology after watching the dominance of the RB7.

"If the others cannot copy us, they ask for our ideas to be banned," he reportedly said.

"This definitely favours Ferrari, and the decision seems to have been taken to give them an advantage," added Marko, who is Red Bull team owner Dietrich Mateschitz’s right hand man.

F1’s governing body is headed by the former long-time Ferrari team principal Jean Todt.

Marko had already slammed the timing of the blown exhaust clampdown, after previously banned innovations like the F-duct and double diffusers were banned at the end of the relevant season.

"This is quite a serious intervention in a solidly developed structure," German reports quote him as saying.

But runaway championship leader Sebastian Vettel seems less worried.

"I think it (the ban) could even be good, as it will cause bigger problems for the Mercedes-powered teams," said the German.