Lotus boss Boullier trusts the FIA is handling F1's technical controversies properly

On the back of an incredibly close fight for glory, Red Bull has found itself under close scrutiny from both rivals teams and the FIA over design aspects of its car.

Since the Monaco Grand Prix it has been asked to change the design of holes in its floor, its wheel hub concept, revise a system that allowed manual changing of suspension settings and also ditch clever engine maps.

Each time the changes have been enforced the race after the design has been used, which has led some to question why the FIA has not acted tougher against the team and punished it at the time.

But Lotus boss Boullier, whose team has emerged as a dark horse contender for the world championship on the back of recent strong results, believes that the FIA has acted correctly.

He suggests that there is a big difference between arguing over an interpretation of the regulations, and going all out to cheat.

"In theory, if you are illegal and you don't get a penalty there is something wrong," Boullier told AUTOSPORT.

"I am not involved in the process with the FIA, but you need to make sure that when a team does something really illegal, then you obviously have to be penalised.

"But if you just exploit a loophole, then that is something different. I think if you look at the mapping situation for example - it was legal and a clever idea."

Red Bull's technical chief Adrian Newey has told AUTOSPORT that the key thing for the FIA is to ensure that all teams are treated equally when there is debate about an interpretation of a specific regulation.

"What is important is that teams are treated fairly and equally when they come up with things that are in the grey area," he said.

"For example, the double DRS is in the grey area but has been deemed legal [until the end of the season], which is fine. As long as everything is consistent, then that is the nature of it."