23/03/2009
NEWS STORY
With Max Mosley predicting that there will be protests as to the legality of the diffusers on three cars this weekend, Sam Michael, Technical Director of one of the teams under suspicion, Williams, denies that his team's diffuser is illegal.
"Our team is very much within the regulations," he told the Mirror. "I really don't know what the fuss is about. People are complaining rather than putting their hands up and saying, 'We didn't think of it because we weren't looking at the rules hard enough'."
The other two teams thought to be facing protests this weekend are Toyota and Brawn, which set an astonishing pace at both Barcelona and Jerez, its only pre-season outings.
Speaking at the weekend, Mosley admitted that he fully expected a number of teams to lodge protests, warning that the 'dispute' could overshadow the first few races of the season.
"It's a very clever device and you can make a very good case for saying that it's legal and a very good case for saying that it's illegal," he told the Daily Telegraph. "What's actually happened is that teams are saying 'We think it's illegal for this and this reason'.
"If there had been more time before the detailed objections to the system were sent in, I would probably have sent it to the FIA Court of Appeal before Australia," he admitted. "But there isn't time. It wouldn't be fair.
"One possibility is that all the teams agree that it is illegal, and therefore all the teams shouldn't have it from Barcelona. But then those teams who say it is legal will say 'Why should we do that?' And those that say it's illegal will say 'Why should we lose an advantage for four races?' So probably what will happen is it will end up going to the stewards, who will make a decision. That will almost certainly be appealed by whichever side is disadvantaged. And then that will go to our Court of Appeal and be hammered out."
"I have an open mind on it at the moment," he continued. "I can see it going either way. I really can. But somebody has to make their mind up and fortunately it's not my job."