F1 officials quash diffuser row
Toyota, Williams and Brawn GP have all been cleared to race in this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix after the FIA threw out the protest made by three of their Formula One rivals.
Ferrari, Renault and Red Bull claimed the other teams had failed to adhere to the regulations regarding the design of their diffuser, a key aerodynamic component which governs the airflow beneath a car.
But after a six-hour hearing, the stewards presiding over Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix – Radovan Novak, Steve Chopping and Olafur Gudmundsson – rejected the complaint.
Within minutes, Ferrari, Renault and Red Bull confirmed notice of their intention to appeal the stewards’ decision.
That will be heard following next weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix, which means there will be an unsatisfactory air to the results of the opening two races.
Should any of the six drivers racing for Toyota, Williams or Brawn GP finish in the top eight in Melbourne or Kuala Lumpur, more than likely given their pace in pre-season testing, points scored would be held under appeal.
It is hardly the start to the season the sport needed, especially after the recent points fiasco, but then politics go hand in hand with F1.
Jenson Button, for one, is adamant the car he will be competing in this season falls within the current sporting regulations.
Asked if it would be a huge disappointment if his car turns out to be illegal, Button replied: “You’ve said it.
“It doesn’t change anything for me. I can’t do anything about it. It’s down to Ross (Brawn) and whoever else is involved.
“It’s not something I personally have any control over, and the best person to speak to about that is Ross.”
But then questioned on whether he and Brawn felt the car was legal, Button replied: “For sure. Yeah.”
Toyota Motorsport president John Howett is also confident there is nothing untoward with his team’s car, in particular after making all the right moves beforehand.
“In motor racing anybody is allowed to protest and I don’t have an issue with that,” said Howett.
“But we’ve studied the regulations in detail, and we’re very confident we have interpreted them correctly.
“We used the consultation process with the FIA technical department and we are satisfied that they verified our interpretation.
“We will just now wait to see what the stewards, or subsequent court, may decide.”
Asked whether Toyota had a contingency plan if the diffuser was declared illegal, Howett replied: “No, because I don’t think we need one.”
BMW Sauber had also protested, however, that was rejected on the basis their paperwork was not correctly submitted.
