Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says there is no longer a grey area in the regulations around the use of pre-loaded suspension systems after the FIA issued a technical directive this week.
Trick suspension systems pioneered by Mercedes and Red Bull last year have been in the spotlight after Ferrari sent a letter to the sport's governing body over the winter questioning whether such a device would be legal on this year's car. Ferrari's letter referenced Article 3.15 of the regulations, which states "any specific part of the car influencing its aerodynamic performance must remain immobile in relation to the sprung part of the car" and questioned the legality of suspension parts that are specifically designed to aid the aerodynamics of the car.
The FIA sent a technical directive to all teams during this week's opening test clarifying its stance and Steiner, whose Haas team has not invested in such a system, says there is no longer a question over what is and what is not legal.
"We have got a clear understanding of what we can't do and we never did that," he said. "We cannot worry about it, we are too small to do this. I don't know what the other ones have got and I think this is one of the biggest questions. If everyone has to declare to the FIA everyone has to say if it is or isn't legal. So I think on that basis we are happy with how the regulation is written now."
Steiner said any team caught breaching the regulations at the opening round in Australia will only have themselves to blame.
"It would be a real shame if someone opposed what the FIA clarified now, to go out there and risk a protest. I think it's down to the people who want to take the risk, it's not to the people who go and protest - they've got the right to protest.
"It's the people who try to take an advantage and then accept the protest, it's down to them. You should not have this, that's my opinion, it's been clarified and everybody should be really clear what it is. We shouldn't go in to the first race and have someone protesting because someone didn't do what the FIA clarified."
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