FIA backs Parr's 'illegal Ferrari' claims

The FIA on Monday backed Adam Parr's claim that Ferrari said it fielded technically illegal cars in formula one.

A spat broke out in Shanghai between the Italian team and Parr, who is Williams chief executive.

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali, backed by Renault's Flavio Briatore, hit out at Parr, after comments attributed to him suggested Ferrari had used illegal cars in the past.

But on Monday, the FIA said Ferrari did indeed admit to committing "a technical violation" of the technical regulations in the past during the Court of Appeal hearing last Tuesday.

"Ferrari acknowledged that multiple vertical transitions had been used by many teams in the past, including Ferrari itself, and argued that all such prior uses (including its own) had constituted a technical violation of the (technical regulations) which had been tolerated," the Court of Appeal finding said.

The FIA published the court's 20-page findings in full on Monday.

In the document, the court - which found in favour of the diffuser teams Brawn, Toyota and Williams - acknowledged the loophole that led to the saga.

Amazingly, the diffuser teams and their rivals had argued at length about whether holes in the controversial designs were actually holes.

"The (diffuser teams) and the FIA submit that, while there may be spaces between different surfaces, the surfaces themselves do not have holes in them. They contend that the spaces between different surfaces are not holes within the very specific meaning of" article 3.12.5.

The FIA also denied Red Bull's claim that the governing body turned down its clarification in January 2007 about designing a similar concept.

Monday's document reads: "The questions put to (the FIA) in previous cases were different and answered correctly and in a manner consistent with its present position."

 

Source: GMM

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 YuZi YuZi
What a mess! :/ And..Why is Briatore backing the Ferrari team boss?
April 20, 2009 7:00 pm
 Wunderkind Wunderkind
Yes, the FIA and Formula 1 (I won't even call it a sport anymore) are a mess and have lost ALL credibility. I was at the pub watching the race on Sunday and most people left 2/3's into the race. They didn't care who won. It no longer interests them. It's a shame, but It's the FIA's own doing.
April 21, 2009 1:15 am
 mn07 mn07
This makes no sense. The double diffuser is allowed in 2009 but its banned in 2010?? so if its legal in 2009 why is it illegal in 2010??
April 21, 2009 6:25 am
 Bristol411S3 Bristol411S3
Where did you pick up that information from? I see nothing in the article to suggest that the rules on diffusers is changing for next year.
April 21, 2009 6:50 am
 mn07 mn07
The guy in BBC said during the china GP
April 21, 2009 7:50 am