Engine maps clarification... Charlie Whiting: Following the German Grand Prix of 2012 we issued a clarification to limit the amount a team could change their ignition timing. We allowed them the flexibility to choose a map from the first four races of 2012 – i.e. before the arms race of exhaust development really started. Then we allowed them ±2.5° from that reference map. For this season some teams want to go outside of that. We’ve explained to them they cannot do that: technical directives stay in force until they’re incorporated into the rules or superseded. I think one engine manufacturer was under a slight misapprehension that they could choose a different reference map [for this year] – we explained to them that they couldn’t. Regulations regarding the number of ‘operational staff’ and disagreements as to whether a physiotherapist should be considered ‘operational’... CW: There’s a new rule this year that allows a maximum of 60 operational staff. By ‘operational staff’ what we mean is those who are involved in the operation of the car. This supersedes an old FOTA rule that allowed for 48 working personnel. The teams wanted this put into the rules in order to have it better regulated. We arrived at the number 60. It sounds like an increase but actually it’s an effective reduction because the old agreement had a huge list of exceptions. We still have some exceptions – team president, reserve driver, medical doctor etc – but it’s not an exhaustive list. This was discussed last May at a Sporting Working Group meeting. There was some discussion about physios but opinion was divided and no specific provision was made. We’ve since had another discussion with the teams and there is still a division of opinion over whether a physio should be included. It became clear that physios do different things in different teams. Some physios only look after the driver, while others operate a pit board or fit tyre blankets. I felt the best interpretation was a physio should not be counted in the 60 if he is concerned only with those tasks within the accepted job definition of a physio. Some teams disagree but we’ve made our position clear.