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Renault Will Not Design F-Duct System for R30

In a time when most teams have already started the race to copy McLaren's F-duct design in Formula One, it seems that at least one team has no plans whatsoever to integrate this design into their 2010 challenger. We're talking about Renault, the team that initially hinted that it may lodge an appeal to the FIA's decision to rule McLaren's knee-activated device as legal.

According to the team's manager Eric Boullier, who talked briefly to the media on Friday morning, his team has no plans to design an F-duct system, because it simply doesn't improve the car's on-track performances that much.

We do not want to be distracted by something that we think is not dramatically faster,” Boullier was quoted as saying to Germany's motorsport-total.com.

However, the Renault mechanics and engineers are not sitting with their arms crossed prior to the Australian event, as they've reportedly developed an innovative traffic light – lollipop device to help them improve pit stop times. According to the GMM news agency, “the two lights on the lollipop are controlled by its holder, who presses buttons with his thumb.”

As far as McLaren's “F duct” system is concerned, it has been confirmed that BMW Sauber Ferrari will be the first team to debut a similar design, from as early as the Aussie round. Following Pedro de la Rosa's admitting that his team knew about that device for quite a while – as he used to be test driver for McLaren Mercedes – Peter Sauber insisted his team's system has not been copied from McLaren's.

“We have not copied McLaren. Within such a short time that would have been impossible. This is our own system, and if it is similar in principle to McLaren's, it can only mean that we had the same idea at the same time,” said Sauber.
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