Ferrari said on Wednesday it had taken note of the ruling by International Racing Federation (FIA) on controversial diffusers used by some of its Formula One rivals and would now work on the necessary adjustments to keep its car competitive.
Ferrari issued its statement after FIA's International Court of Appeal (ICA) rejected a complaint the Italian team had filed together with Renault, BMW and Red Bull over the diffusers used by the teams Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams.
''Unfortunately this decision forces us to intervene on fundamental areas of the car's design in order to be able to compete on an equal footing from a technical point of view, and that will take time and money,'' Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said in the statement.
''We must now double our efforts to get the team back to the highest level of competitivity,'' he added
Ferrari and the other Formula 1 teams filed their complaint after stewards in the opening Australian Grand Prix allowed the diffusers and Brawn GP driver Jenson Button won the race.
Button also won the next race in Malaysia which took place before the FIA hearing.
The diffuser is a kind of wind spoiler located behind the rear axle which FIA this year ordered be reduced in size and placed more rearward.
Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams were accused of having bent the rules too far by using a double-decker diffuser design which apparently gave their cars extra speed.
The design, however, had been given a pre-season green light by FIA.
In its statement on Wednesday, FIA said race stewards were correct in allowing the disputed diffusers because they complied with regulations.
FIA added it would give a full explanation of its decision at a later date.
BRAWN PLEASED WITH ICA RULING.
Ross Brawn, who was once's Ferrari chief strategist and now owns the former Honda team which bears his name, welcomed the ICA decision and defended the diffusers' design. ''We are pleased with the decision reached by the ICA. And we respect the right of our competitors to query any design or concept used on our cars through the channels available to them,'' he said in a statement.
''FIA's experts, the stewards at the Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix and now five ICA judges have confirmed our belief that our cars have always strictly complied with the 2009 regulations,'' he added.
Brawn had been part of Ferrari's 'Dream Team' - that also included driver Michael Schumacher and team principal Jean Todt - which gave Ferrari six consecutive constructors' championships (2000-2005) and five straight titles for Schumacher (2001-2005).
He took a year's sabbatical from the Italian team at the end of the 2006 season and later resigned, before joining Honda for the 2008 season.
Brawn bought the Honda team just before the start of this season.
The ICA decision was also hailed by Toyota, which is second in the constructors' championship behind Brawn GP.
Ferrari has no points after two races.
