“It is not for us to judge,” Dennis told reporters.
“Up and down the pit lane there is some confusion over the fact, and I was told second-hand that their primary purpose is to play an active role in the cooling of the brakes.
“But there is a regulation that says you are not allowed to change any aspect of the car during qualifying.
“Clearly when you are changing wheels you are changing an element of which is relevant to the brakes.”
Despite his misgivings about the fairings, Dennis said McLaren would not be lodging a protest.
“It is not for us to challenge the legality,” he said.
“There is a mechanism, but we have no intention of protesting the Ferrari ‘dustbin lids’.”
