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**nerohedfrs** · 03-24-2009, 02:38 PM

Has anyone seen a full explanation of what the problem is supposed to be with the Williams/Brawn/Toyota diffusers? According to that Autosport article the other teams think they are "unfairly using a bigger diffuser," while the FIA says they are "within the wording of the regulations." Obviously two different interpretations of the facts, but what are the facts?

Autosport tried to explain this a while back. I can't find the article, but from what I remember there is a maximin height for the diffuser as measured from the ground, but the top of the diffuser also has to connect to the floorpan/undertray at the rear of the car. What Williams and the rest have done is basically raise the floor in that area, and then use struts to connect the diffuser to the floorpan, in effect using the floorpan to create a 'double-deck' diffuser.
Personally I can't see what the problem is. If the main body of the diffuser is within the height requirement, and there is nothing to state that the floorpan actually has to be in contact with the diffuser along its entire length, then it's legal. And after all, for the last few years a large part of the millions that teams spend in F1 has been devoted to finding 'grey areas' in the rule book. I'm not Ferrari bashing here but does anyone remember the issue over their barge-boards a couple of seasons back? Or Honda retiring both their cars so that they could fit new engines for the next race without being penalised?
Of course what is going to govern all of this will be the performance of the cars at Melbourne. If they wipe the floor with everyone else then expect protest galore. If they don't, expect the issue to quietly go away.

03-24-2009, 02:38 PM	#20
nerohedfrs Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 563 Senior Member	Has anyone seen a full explanation of what the problem is supposed to be with the Williams/Brawn/Toyota diffusers? According to that Autosport article the other teams think they are "unfairly using a bigger diffuser," while the FIA says they are "within the wording of the regulations." Obviously two different interpretations of the facts, but what are the facts? Autosport tried to explain this a while back. I can't find the article, but from what I remember there is a maximin height for the diffuser as measured from the ground, but the top of the diffuser also has to connect to the floorpan/undertray at the rear of the car. What Williams and the rest have done is basically raise the floor in that area, and then use struts to connect the diffuser to the floorpan, in effect using the floorpan to create a 'double-deck' diffuser. Personally I can't see what the problem is. If the main body of the diffuser is within the height requirement, and there is nothing to state that the floorpan actually has to be in contact with the diffuser along its entire length, then it's legal. And after all, for the last few years a large part of the millions that teams spend in F1 has been devoted to finding 'grey areas' in the rule book. I'm not Ferrari bashing here but does anyone remember the issue over their barge-boards a couple of seasons back? Or Honda retiring both their cars so that they could fit new engines for the next race without being penalised? Of course what is going to govern all of this will be the performance of the cars at Melbourne. If they wipe the floor with everyone else then expect protest galore. If they don't, expect the issue to quietly go away.
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