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Ferrari Are Positive of Favorable Diffuser Verdict

Ferrari's design and development consultant Rory Byrne said he expects the FIA International Court of Appeal to rule out the use of different-interpreted rear diffuser designs introduced by the “diffuser three”, Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams F1. The Ferrari official argued that no one in the last 15 years have taken that approach when building the rear diffuser and that should be proof enough of its illegality.

Ferrari, Red Bull, Renault and BMW Sauber – McLaren Mercedes withdrew in the last moment – have questioned the double-decker design used by Brawn GP, as well as the “innovative” systems used by the other two aforementioned teams, as they argued it come against the FIA rule book (article 3.12.5 of F1's technical regulations, to be more precise).

According to the aforementioned article “fully enclosed holes are permitted in the surfaces lying on the reference and step planes provided no part of the car is visible through them when viewed from directly below.”

As argued by Byrne,”if you look at the Brawn car from underneath, you can see the suspension.” In addition, the Ferrari technical believes if the F1 regulations on the rear diffuser had been subject to different interpretations, it would have already been picked up by the teams throughout the last 15 years.

“It's a rule set at least 14-15 years ago, and that for many years everyone interpreted in the same way,” added Byrne.

The FIA International Court of Appeal is to give a final and undisputed verdict on the diffuser dilemma as early as tomorrow. As announced by McLaren this weekend, the Woking-based team decided to pull out of the protesting teams pack and focus on their defense in the lie-gate hearing, schedule on April 29th.
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