Hands up if you thought that the FIA's ban on engine mapping changes between qualifying and the race would finally bring an end to Red Bull Racing's run of nine consecutive pole positions. Yeah, me too. And once again we have an all-Red Bull front row for tomorrow's European Grand Prix.
The gap between pole-sitter Sebastial Vettel and third-place Lewis Hamilton may be just over a tenth less than the average for the first seven races of the year, but that will be of scant consolation to anyone hoping that the FIA clampdown would somehow affect pace-setters Red Bull more than any other team on the grid. The huge grin on Martin Whitmarsh's face as Lewis Hamilton momentarily topped the times in Q1 this afternoon will have faded pretty quickly, methinks.
Perhaps Stefano Domenicali is right and we need to wait until next month's British Grand Prix to see the real effect of the recent regulation changes; the ban on off-throttle use of blown diffusers is likely to have a far more significant impact, particularly at circuits with plenty of high-speed corners – circuits that have always favoured the Red Bull car.
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