Diffuser Protests have started

[rage2]

Apparently, RBR and Renault has officially filed a protest today for the double diffusers on the Toyota, Williams, and Brawn GP car. Both teams claim that they submitted a similar design for review to the FIA in early 2008 and was told that it's definately illegal. This is why they never pursued this path, even though most teams were sort of using the loophole in 2008. It was understood that the loophole was to be closed for 2009, and thus they were denied early on.

Renault has stated that the illegal diffusers give an extra 10% downforce (as mentioned in various articles over the last month), good for 0.5s/lap. A huge advantage.

[Mibz]

So let's say an appeal or whatever is filed during or after the Aussie GP. Or that this doesn't get resolved until after the GP.

Do they retroactively disqualify the teams that ran it or do they alter the rules for the next GP and keep the results of Aussie?

[Eleanor]

Hasn't the diffuser already been okayed by F1?

[buh_buh]

Originally posted by Mibz
So let's say an appeal or whatever is filed during or after the Aussie GP. Or that this doesn't get resolved until after the GP.

Do they retroactively disqualify the teams that ran it or do they alter the rules for the next GP and keep the results of Aussie?

No, they alter the rules for the next race. This is like the Renault mass damper incident. They didn't have to forfeit their points, just had to have the part off for the next race.

And the diffuser was thought to be ok'd by Max and Charlie Whiting (meaning the FIA has ok'd this), but I believe its the stewards that make the ruling. So since the FIA ok'd it, any teams using it won't be penalized. But once the stewards decide after the appeal whether its legal or not, then that's when teams have to take it off or whatever. I think that's how its supposed to work, but F1 is a shitshow so who knows what will really happen. The ruling is probably dependent on the outcome of the race.

[iceburns288]

Heh it's not Ferrari this time. Your prediction was off

EDIT: here is the explanation of why the diffuser should be illegal/why it works for those who don't know.

[rage2]

Ya, that's because Ferrari waits till you race it to get it banned afterwards, thus ensuring that they beat them haha.

[iceburns288]

Nah man... Ferrari fans have it easy. If we don't win, the FIA will take care of the rules on their own!