F 1: Court Of Appeal Declares Disputed Diffusers Legal

[dominique355]

The FIA International Court of Appeal (ICA) has rejected protests against the diffusers used by the Brawn, Toyota and Williams teams, after concluding that their ‘double decker’ designs comply with the 2009 regulations.

BMW Sauber, Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault had all questioned the legality of the diffusers, but following Tuesday’s hearing in Paris, the ICA decided that race stewards in Australia and Malaysia had made the right call in declaring them legal.

So all the other teams have no other option than rebuild their cars, which will take time (until the GP of Spain, I would guess) and costs a lot of money, not to mention will contravene the efforts to make overtaking easier.

Even the special group who had studied ways to make overtaking easier and who's findings led to the new aerodynamic rules for 2009 expressed their opinion that the Brawn-type double decker diffusers in effect made a ground effect car and made all their efforts to facilitate overtaking futile.

[F1fanatic]

The FIA International Court of Appeal (ICA) has rejected protests against the diffusers used by the Brawn, Toyota and Williams teams, after concluding that their 'double decker' designs comply with the 2009 regulations.

BMW Sauber, Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault had all questioned the legality of the diffusers, but following Tuesday's hearing in Paris, the ICA decided that race stewards in Australia and Malaysia had made the right call in declaring them legal.

So all the other teams have no other option than rebuild their cars, which will take time (until the GP of Spain, I would guess) and costs a lot of money, not to mention will contravene the efforts to make overtaking easier.

Even the special group who had studied ways to make overtaking easier and who's findings led to the new aerodynamic rules for 2009 expressed their opinion that the Brawn-type double decker diffusers in effect made a ground effect car and made all their efforts to facilitate overtaking futile.

I'd missed the opinion that diffusers would make overtaking more difficult.

The season so far has been great with lots of overtaking. It will be interesting to see if that changes once the other teams catch up with their own diffusers.

Meanwhile, it's nice to see different teams at the top and setting the pace.

If HK can get past the first lap, at least he'll have an excuse for being way behind the race leaders! (Apologies to any Kovi fans out there!)

[rixalex]

I don't know enough about the regulations to judge whether the diffusers should be allowed or not, but agree with other people who have said that it's good to have new faces at the front, so i'm pleased there was no punishment. I can't help wondering though whether the verdict would have been the same had McClaren been involved - i think perhaps not!

[F1fanatic]

I've no doubt the decision would have been exactly the same - it would have caused too much chaos and bad feeling to have taken the wins away from Brawn GP (or any other small team come to that)! Bad for the financial business that is F1.

McLaren bring their problems on themselves. I too believe that Mosley has a grudge against Dennis, but he didn't force them to take stolen documents or lie to the FIA.

[rixalex]

McLaren bring their problems on themselves.

About their problems this year, i completely agree.

The spying business not so sure. I think obtaining information about your competitors via slightly questionable means is pretty common throughout Formula One - not that that makes it right of course - just that McClaren were singled out thanks to big-baby Alonso and Max the sex-freak.

Edited April 15, 2009 by rixalex

[F1fanatic]

McLaren bring their problems on themselves.

About their problems this year, i completely agree.

The spying business not so sure. I think obtaining information about your competitors via slightly questionable means is pretty common throughout Formula One - not that that makes it right of course - just that McClaren were singled out thanks to big-baby Alonso and Max the sex-freak.

Its more that they were caught red-handed when they were stupid enough to take the documents to a photo-copy shop!

I agree that spying goes on all the time, but taking stolen documents is a slightly different matter!

[rixalex]

McLaren bring their problems on themselves.

About their problems this year, i completely agree.

The spying business not so sure. I think obtaining information about your competitors via slightly questionable means is pretty common throughout Formula One - not that that makes it right of course - just that McClaren were singled out thanks to big-baby Alonso and Max the sex-freak.

Its more that they were caught red-handed when they were stupid enough to take the documents to a photo-copy shop!

I agree that spying goes on all the time, but taking stolen documents is a slightly different matter!

Well if you say so.

For me i think it was the tip of the iceberg. This is a million dollar sport with massive stakes on the line. If people think that McClaren were the first and only team to use sneaky methods to get ahead of the game i think they are being very naive.

[MJo]

If HK can get past the first lap, at least he'll have an excuse for being way behind the race leaders! (Apologies to any Kovi fans out there!)

He's as fast or faster than Hamilton given the correct equipment and fair play to compete against him. Alonso did not complain for nothing, Heikki was constantly faster than Lewis last year in qualification if you take his fuel loads into account. McLaren knows this very well but naturally decided to give a change to Brit this time. Understandable after total domination of the team by the finns that was going on 15 years or so

Agree though that he needs to get past the first lap, would help to be in first two rows in grid...

Interesting to see how fast others can get their cars changed, McLaren and Ferrari and maybe Renault have the money but rest propably can not make it work until next season. In any case this decision ensures Brawn will win championship if they can keep it somehow financially together until end of the season.

Edited April 15, 2009 by MJo

[Mosha]

McLaren have theirs for the Chinese GP and are setting the pace in practising. Don't tell the Ferrari fans though.

[rixalex]

He's as fast or faster than Hamilton given the correct equipment and fair play to compete against him.

That's a matter of opinion.

Alonso did not complain for nothing,

Urm yes he did. His complaint wasn't that Lewis was getting preferential treatment. The problem for him was that they were both treated equally - (well until late on in the season when things went really sour after Alonso tried to blackmail the team!). Alonso's complaint was rather that as two-time world champ, he felt that he should be getting preferential treatment over Lewis. McClaren however felt that as both drivers were new to the team, they would treat them equally until one of them started to dominate the other. Alonso didn't dominate Lewis and that's when the problems started.

Heikki was constantly faster than Lewis last year in qualification if you take his fuel loads into account.

There's no doubt that lap times are affected by fuel load but there's no scientific way of knowing by exactly how much so your comment is impossible to substaniate and therefore again just a matter of opinion

McLaren decided to give a change to Brit this time. Understandable after total domination of the team by the finns that was going on 15 years or so

Nonsense. You seem to think that F1 teams are run by sentimental people. I can assure you the only thing they care about (and the only thing their sponsors care about more importantly), is winning. Everything else is secondary. Their decisions are 100% based on achieving this objective of success.

If Heikki was the faster man, i guarantee you they would be giving him the treatment that Lewis now gets.

Edited April 20, 2009 by rixalex

[F1fanatic]

I agree that Alonso and Hamilton had equal treatment until later in the 2008 season when things went very sour between Alonso and Mclaren!

After that I think few impartial F1 fans would disagree that Hamilton had preferential treatment - the comment "we are racing against Alonso" (or words to that effect) spring to mind.

As the current WDC I can understand Alonso thinking the team should have been 100% behind him, but even if they had just continued with their equal treatment I think Alonso could (would?) have won the WDC again in 2008. McLaren IMO lost the WDC when they decided to back Hamilton at Alonso's expense. As it is, they ended the season with equal points (if my memory serves me correctly), and LOST the championship. Kimi was lucky IMO.

By the way, I'm not an Alonso fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I respect his driving skills whilst I deplore his histrionics when things don't go his way!

Heikki? I've honestly no idea what's going on there! He performed well at Renault, badly last season (but it was his first at McLaren), and appallingly this season until the last race in China where he managed (finally) to beat Hamilton but only just, bearing in mind that Hamilton had spun/left the track 3 times! Yes, he was obviously driving a lot more cautiously than Hamilton and it paid off. But I still can't help but think 'too cautiously' perhaps? Or then again the speed difference could be down to the car - I seem to recall that Heikki opted (?) not to have the new diffuser, whereas Hamilton had it on his car.

If I'm wrong about this no doubt someone will correct me.

I've no doubt that he is treated as the 'no 2' driver at McLaren, but even so - he should be performing better.