Ross Brawn says that while it is "everybody's right to protest" he is growing tired of complaints about Mercedes' new wing.
Mercedes unveiled their W-duct wing at the season-opener in Australia where, despite the FIA's technical director Charlie Whiting declaring it legal, Lotus and Red Bull repeatedly called it into question.
It was more of the same this weekend in Malaysia where once again the Mercedes W03 passed scutineering but once again the threat of protests in hanging over Mercedes' head.
"It's everybody's right to protest," said Brawn, who saw Michael Schumacher qualify in third place with the help of his W-duct wing.
"But even in a business as competitive as we have here there is some protocol, I believe.
"The system has not changed. It is the same system we had at the beginning of the season.
"The correct time to bring these issues to a head, if you want to, is on a Thursday.
"As soon as scrutineering is finished, if you wish to protest a system then that is the fair time to do it because you can bring it to a head before you get into qualifying, get into racing.
"In my view to protest now would be pretty unpleasant because it is something that could have happened on Friday, could have happened on Thursday.
"I can understand people are frustrated because they haven't thought of the idea, or they don't believe it's correct, and that's their right.
"But I've seen lots of things on racing cars where I've wondered at the interpretation, but that is the nature of our business.
"Bang a protest in on Thursday if you want to get it done, and leave the stewards to try and resolve the issue.
"Don't do it after qualifying or the race and spoil the event, spoil it for the fans."
