Renault ready to use new diffuser – lawyer
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| Fernando Alonso |
"I don't really care too much because unfortunately it is not our decision, it's FIA decision or the Appeal Court's," the double World Champion said. From a driver's point of view, we do not understand, we are not technical people so we are not very sure about what the rules say, but it is true that there are some cars that are much quicker than us, Brawn, Toyota and Williams.
"And it will take time to recover and close that gap and be as quick as them, because I don't think it is a diffuser thing or a magic part in the car that you put on and you go straight away quick. You need to re-design the car a little bit, starting from the front wing. The air has to go to the rear-end of the car in a different way. So there is still some months I think to work, to spend money, to develop the car to be as quick as them. It is not only the diffuser, it is just a different philosophy of designing the car."
"It's going to take many races for them to attempt to make their cars work with that sort of diffuser," Williams driver Nico Rosberg stated. It's not a given that you're going to be able to make it work, and it's not a fact that it's quicker. It's not that straightforward. I think it's going to take a whole lot of time, and even then you're not sure if it's going to work or not."
04/14/09 (GMM) The lawyer representing Renault at the diffuser hearing in Paris on Tuesday confirmed the French team is ready to deploy a version of the controversial design.
The legal representative, Andrew Ford, told the FIA's Court of Appeal judges that Renault started work on the concept and asked representatives of the governing body if it would be legal.
"It is not that Renault missed the boat … it is because the FIA said it was illegal," he said.
Ford said Renault could immediately deploy an initial version of the design, theoretically in China this weekend, should the court throw out its appeal against stewards rulings.
In Australia, Renault, Ferrari and Red Bull protested against the Brawn, Toyota and Williams cars. In Malaysia, BMW-Sauber followed suit.
Those seven teams are present in Paris on Tuesday, as is McLaren, who is siding with the anti-diffuser teams but is not expected to actually address the court.
Ferrari's QC Nigel Tozzi – involved for the Italian team in the spy saga of 2007 – led the anti-diffuser argument, slamming Brawn's submission that the appeal is "vindictive" on the basis that teams that did not think of the divisive concept.
Referring to the former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn, Tozzi said: "Only a person of supreme arrogance would think he is right when so many of his esteemed colleagues would disagree."
The Ferrari counsel also did not hold back on criticizing the FIA, noting the inconsistency of having told some teams the diffuser concept is illegal, and then green-lighting the similar solutions of other teams.
"The position of the FIA is totally baffling. We urge you to save the FIA from itself," he told the panel.