I think there's another aspect of the diffusers that has been totally ignored by the press and the FIA.
The FIA had commissionned a group of experts to try and improve overtaking. The results from their studies was reflected by the new regulations : big front wing, small and higher rear wing, adjustable front flap, no winglets and other aero appendices and... much smaller diffuser. This is for the aerodynamics side, while we saw the return to slick tyres on the mechanical grip side of things.
The idea being that the cars would be less affected by the wake of the car in front for two reasons: One being that the car in front would create a much lesser wake, the other that the car won't be affected as much by not such a clean air than before.
My understanding is that the diffuser has a big impact on those two points. It pretty much negates the smaller, higher rear wing, and the car needs cleaner air to work than without it.
Think about it, we've seen quite a bit of overtaking in the past two races, but have we seen a diffuser car being overtaken in normal conditions (by that I mean that it wasn't on massively degraded tyres for melbourne, or on the wrong tyres for malaysia) ? I for myself cannot remember that happening. I know that the difference in pace makes it improbable that a diffuser car will be overtaken by a non diffuser car, but if you think about it, button was never very close to trulli in malaysia.
I guess what i'm trying to say is that by allowing those diffusers the FIA has just made a mockery of this overtaking group's study.
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