Formula 1 teams confident technical rows will not mar 2012 season

With the field being so close in terms of laptime this year, the increased scrutiny in what rival outfits are up to has contributed to rules clarifications being requested about holes in the floor and inside the wheel hubs of the RB8 over the Monaco and Canadian GP weekends.

Those decisions went against Red Bull Racing, which meant the team had to make two changes to its cars in as many races.

But although that run of events has pointed towards perhaps there being a spate of rule interpretations as the world title battle heats up, leading figures are hopeful that the situation will be much calmer going forward.

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn said: "There has always been a lot of diligence between the teams of what others are doing; it is almost the self policing nature of F1.

"If you think back to any of the innovations, like the double diffuser, it was brought to the attention of the FIA and challenged, and it has always been the case in F1.

"We have just had a couple of incidents come together and it looks intense, but there have always been lots of things going on and lots of teams inspecting each other's cars. The advent of the digital camera with a long lens means we all have a good insight into what other people's cars look like.

"It is all part of modern F1: making sure you are not missing interesting innovation because of interpretations or regulations. And, if you don't agree with it, getting a clarification and trying to understand it."

When asked by AUTOSPORT if he felt there would be a run of technical controversies this year, McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: "No, I don't think so.

"People are always trying to understand how the rules are interpreted. Every team will try and push the boundaries, and every now and again the FIA takes a view and they change some guidance.

"I don't think it will be a major feature of this season, we need to primarily focus on our car and our programme - not on that of other teams."