Williams, Toyota diffusers illegal?
"It will always happen when you have got new regulations," Mosley told Autosport.
"The current FIA view is that Williams and Toyota have been clever and have exploited the wording of the rules in a clever way.
"But somebody may challenge it and the stewards may take a different view – it could happen.
"It is a curious idea in a way – where you are not allowed two surfaces, you have a surface and then something that is not a surface because it is unsprung.
"The view on our technical people is that it is okay, we will wait and see if someone challenges it."
02/03/09 (GMM) Williams and Toyota believe their controversial diffuser designs for 2009 are legal, and it is likely the FIA will not intervene, according to the Swiss publication Motorsport Aktuell.
It was reported last week that rival teams expressed concerns about the legitimacy of the two teams' separate designs, after "clever aerodynamic shaping" was used to sidestep the regulation about the maximum height of 175mm.
Motorsport Aktuell, however, claims that the designs – while using a loophole for extra bodywork not intended for diffusers – conform to the letter of the technical rules.
Separate technical analysis published on F1's official website describe Williams' design as "highly innovative", and Toyota's "very interesting", as both use clever shaping of the rear crash structure to effectively increase the height of the diffuser.
It is believed that the teams in question, who are both powered by Toyota's 2.4 liter V8 engines, separately got clearance from the FIA about their interpretations of the 2009 rules.
The FIA has not confirmed publicly that the designs are legal, however, and an official protest can only be lodged by a rival team once the cars are presented for scrutineering in Australia late next month.
01/28/09 Williams and Toyota’s 2009 cars will be the subject of close inspection by the FIA after other teams sought a clarification of the rules regarding their rear diffuser arrangements. Some technical experts believe that in molding the bodywork around their respective diffusers (beneath the rear wing) the two teams have exceeded the 175mm maximum height regulation.
Pat Symonds, technical director of Renault, was one of the first to speak out on the issue. ‘They (the diffusers) are certainly interesting, although I don’t think I can comment on their legality.
“That’s something for the FIA to comment on. We will be asking the FIA about it, but we haven’t yet," he told Autosport.
A piece of bodywork exceeding the permitted height could give the teams in question added downforce as part of the rear aerodynamic structure, resulting in a potentially significant performance advantage.