26/08/2006
NEWS STORY
Although Renault has not officially commented on the decision of the Appeal Court, which saw it uphold the FIA's ruling that the French team's controversial mass damper system is illegal, that hasn't prevented team boss, Flavio Briatore, from making his own feelings perfectly clear.
"When the rules change halfway through the championship, the situation is certainly distorted," he told Italian broadcaster RAI. "It not the technical motivation, but the timing and manner which seems stupid to me.
"How can it follow that in the middle of the championship a device everyone always considered legal, is not valid anymore?"
The Italian is expressing feelings that many F1 observers have felt since the FIA first moved to outlaw the device. How is it that the device was acceptable in the latter stages of 2005 and much of 2006, but then ruled illegal, coincidentally, at a time when the French team appeared to be running away with the championship(s).
Furthermore, if the device always was illegal - which it must have been since the rules haven't suddenly changed - are we to expect retrospective action to be taken, and if not, why not?
Without doubt, the affair has left many F1 observers with a bitter taste in their mouths, since it does appear that the goal posts have been moved halfway through the game.
Clearly the device did make a difference to Renault, for if there hadn't been a benefit they wouldn't have been on the car in the first place.