http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport...one/7996698.stm


The five International Court of Appeal judges in Paris heard evidence from both sides, with Ferrari's legal representative, Nigel Tozzi QC, describing Brawn GP team boss Ross Brawn as "a person of supreme arrogance".

Brawn defended himself robustly and insisted his team's diffuser was simply "an innovative approach of an existing idea".

And Brawn's criticism of Ferrari consultant Rory Bryne and Red Bull technical guru Adrian Newey saw sparks fly in the courtroom, with the Englishman refusing to retract his statements.

 

My take on this is that Ferrari ahven't got a leg to stand on.
So lets personally attack Ross etc al.

 

I seem to recall Tozzi getting involved in some pretty heated courtroom exchanges during the 'stolen doc's / McLaren hearing.

I really hope nothing daft comes out of this appeal, but this is F1, so there is every chance it will.

 

So the whole thing hinges on whether the gap between differing layers of the diffuser that you can see the suspension through constitutes a hole or a gap between different layers.

Sounds to me like Brawn et al have just been a bit smarter and pushed the boundaries slightly further.

Seeing as Brawn raised this potential loophole with the FIA a year ago and was told that a gap doesn't constitute a hole, i can't see how the FIA can do anything other than uphold their original findings.

 

Yes, but this is the FIA.

 

 

The FIA as well as FOM want to see F1 remain popular, and both parties will be enjoying the wave that F1 and Brawn GP are riding together. I simply cannot see them revoking Button and Brawn's 2 victories, and instead expect them to deem the diffusers legal so the other teams can follow suit.

Remember that Williams and Toyota are already running such diffusers (Toyota's is apparently even more clever than Brawn's) and aren't winning races, so it's not the be all and end all.

The fact that all 3 teams regularly out-score Ferrari just says to me that their dedication to evolution rather than revolution which brought them so much success in the early part of this decade has come back to haunt them now the rules have changed so dramatically.

 

True.

My concern is that they will come up with some sort of half-baked compromise - i.e. 'diffusers now ruled illegal, but as they were checked before each of the previous 2 races, the results of those races stand.'

It will be very interesting to see, if the diffusers are deemed legal, how many of the cars pitch up to race in China with revised diffusers. (Red Bull, I suspect, will not be amoungst them)

 

From a post I put up just after the Aussie Grand Prix.

"As I understand it the teams that have the advantage are technically within the rules (although it's a definate loop hole)
To outlaw the diffusor would mean a change in the rules which would have to have unanimous support from all teams. I can't see those with it supporting it since it sounds like a fundimental balance change to the cars. The only way to let them do it would be with testing to adjust the cars to the new rules. This of course is now outlawed.
My opinion is the rule will be allowed to stand for the remainder of the year (maybe changed for next year). The other teams will either live without or try to introduce during the season but that's their choice (rather than an enforced change on the teams that do have)"

 

Just announced, diffusers are legal.

Now watch Ferrari et al chuck toys far from the pram.