Byrne doubts diffuser legality claims

[John S]

Looks like Ferrari intend to open up a second front against the double diffuser gang, I still can't see them being banned though.

Ferrari design consultant Rory Byrne believes the 'diffuser gang' of Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams have broken with a 15-year protocol in the way they have interpreted Formula 1's technical regulations this year.

With the FIA's International Court of Appeal due to convene on Tuesday to rule on whether double-decker diffusers used by the three teams are legal, Byrne has added his weight to arguments that they are not within the rules.

In particular, he believes that the teams' insistence that holes in the floor of the car designed to improve airflow through the diffusers should be regarded as 'slots' goes against what everybody accepted as correct for many years.

Article 3.12.5 of F1's technical regulations states: "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."

The three teams at the centre of the dispute claim that breaks in the floor of their car are not holes, but gaps between the step and reference planes of the car - so exempt from the requirement that no part of the car be visible through them.

Byrne has told Gazzetta dello Sport that he is sceptical about such a suggestion, however, saying teams had never thought like that before.

"It's a rule set at least 14-15 years ago, and that for many years everyone interpreted in the same way," said Byrne, who won many world titles for Ferrari working alongside Ross Brawn. "If you look at the Brawn car from underneath, you can see the suspension."

Speaking about his feelings on the situation, especially going against one of his former close colleagues, Byrne said: "Ross Brawn and I remain good friends, but one thing is personal relationships, another thing is the professional aspect. And I work for Ferrari."

By Jonathan Noble and Michele Lostia, Autosport.com

[lkjohnson1950]

The last five words there are the key to his objection, I think.

Lonny

[Scott]

Hilarious - I thought the same thing when I read it Lonny.  I bet he even had a smirk on his face when he said that.   

[FW14B]

Those last few lines made me crack up 

[cosworth151]

Nobody from Ferrari would put the good of Ferrari above the good of the sport, would they?

[johnbull]

Are you trying to fan the flames or something, Cossie ?

[cosworth151]

Just a bit of sarcasm aimed at Ferrari. I agree, that last line of his says it all.

[Steven Roy]

Turns out Byrne is representing Ferrari in Paris.  Shame he forgot to mention that before he made his comment.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74449

[lkjohnson1950]

Interesting that his objection is not about the height of the diffuser, but that the "slots" in the bottom of the chassis allow you to see the suspension, assuming you can crawl under the car. Apparently this is illegal. This new arguement worries me.

Lonny

[Scott]

And how did they find a Ferrari team member skinny enough to slide under and spot the suspension?   

The new twist worries me too, but when he talks about it being a sort of informal agreement going back 15 years, I'm less nervous.  Anything goes as we all know.

[johnbull]

I'm writing this off my head but if I remember it rightly the ruling is to the effect that looked at from underneath no part of the car above the flat bottom should be seen, from a point from the centreline of the front wheels to the centreline of the rear wheels.

If the offending bit is rearward of the centre of the rear wheels it shouldn't matter if you can see things, or if it has holes.

But no doubt, like all these unnecessarily complicated and vague FIA rules, this whole thing will be open to a thousand different interpretations.

[SennaMan]

rory Byrne should have the smarts to know ya should pull ya head in and that way we will still think he is brilliant

we now do not and will remember him being bought by FERRARI

another F1 slut and the ruling the diffusers are legal makes him a b loser to boot!

he should have joined the other 3 guys with the same initials at BRAWN and become an instant winner

silly, silly man

just another clown in the F1 circus bullshit