F1: Aaaaaannnnndddd........ We're back

"It's not legal" went up the cry from several teams as McLaren and Ferrari pulled their cars out of the garage in Jerez. The complaints related to the position of the exhaust outlets which both McLaren and Ferrari have placed in remarkably similar positions and configuration. There was much fuss in 2011 about "blown diffusers" which, basically, mean that the exhaust gasses were channelled (either electronically or under the control of the driver) to the rear diffuser - part of the car's aerodynamics. Although not technically outlawed, new rules for 2012 require exhaust outlets to be much higher than in 2011 - and therefore above the diffuser - and further forward, so dissipating the force of the gasses before arriving at the diffuser.

The FIA's Charlie Whiting - who is more or less the final arbiter on such matters - looked at both cars in Jerez. They do, he pronounced, comply with both the letter and the spirit of the law.

Another change for 2011 did not raise questions - but it has caused some rather odd-looking cars: for safety reasons, the pointy end of the car now has to be significantly lower than in previous years. Although this is not expected to have a significant effect on aerodynamics, the change is designed to reduce the chances of one car spearing into the cockpit of another in the event of a side-on collision.

McLaren and Ferrari were both very quick in Jerez. In fact, despite frequent moans from the Ferrari camp, when it came around to do-or-die Friday, just like the last afternoon of a skiing holiday, it was Fernando Alonso who stuck the two fastest laps of theday both surprising and delighting the team and its fans. But they mostly didn't notice that the fastest time of the week went to newcomer Roman Grosjean in the Lotus Renault. Shhhhhhhhh !