No quick fix to catch diffuser teams – rivals
With the Court of Appeal hearing now over, and seven teams all but obliged to now follow the path of the 'diffuser 3' clan, work at factories will be at fever pitch to make up for lost time.
It was rumored that Renault, one of the diffuser appellants, was ready to use some sort of new diffuser design as soon as this weekend in China.
But engineering boss Pat Symonds, referring to the Spanish grand prix next months, said: "It would be possible to have something done to our car by the first race in Europe."
To the Guardian newspaper, however, he warned that Renault's first 'double decker' diffuser version will not immediately close the gap.
"That could find us maybe three tenths of a second. But in order to find the other two or three tenths necessary to put us on a par with the three cars carrying what I believed to be an illegal diffuser will require a substantial reworking of the rear of the car.
"Ironically, the three would have had a much easier job converting the other way," added Symonds.
Norbert Haug, boss of Mercedes' racing activities, agrees.
"What some did in nine months cannot be done by others in nine weeks," the German told Germany's SID news agency.
"Our sporting spirit tells us: 'it is time to get to work, we accept the challenge' but we are going to need some time," said Haug.