F1: FIA dismisses appeals against diffuser ruling

It's difficult to understand the logic of the teams that appealed against Australian GP stewards' decision on the split diffuser used by Toyota, Williams and BrawnGP.

Every team knew the FIA did not object to them. The three teams that had them were totally open about it: they had discussed the development with the FIA at every step of the way.

The teams that did object had asked the FIA about the idea - but in the absence of a clear "yes" decided not to go with the design.

FIA decisions do not bind stewards in advance. And so asking the stewards for a ruling at Melbourne was a logical step: if those stewards had objected, then the cars would not have been able to run with the split diffusers. There was a lesser known objection raised in Malaysia - again the stewards decided in favour of the design.

But once the stewards had cleared the split diffusers, it was a foregone conclusion (short of any rampant bias by the FIA) that they would be declared legal.

Of course, Ferrari was one of the appellants - and so there was always a chance of bias. But the FIA looked at matters from a neutral perspective and, although the reasons have yet to be published, it looks as if they simply decided that the appeal was sour grapes - particularly as a first lap collision in Melbourne had robbed Barrichello of his diffuser and he still brought the car home second after a sterling drive.

So, with it established that the diffuser did not create a huge advantage - despite the wild claims that it was - on its own - worth half a second a lap according to some that criticised it - there was another challenge for the FIA. In a sport marred by controversy, all of a sudden it has some real-life heroes.

And that's worth more to F1 right now than the bleating of a few teams who were, simply, not sufficiently daring.