Traction control banned as FIA reveals changes to 2008 regulations
30/03/2007  Following a meeting of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council earlier this week, a number of changes have been made to the regulations for 2008, the most significant being the banning of traction control.
Article 9.3 states: No car may be equipped with a system or device which is capable of preventing the driven wheels from spinning under power or of compensating for excessive throttle demand by the driver. Any device or system which notifies the driver of the onset of wheel spin is not permitted. Traction control has for many years been a bug bear in F1, with the boffins seemingly forever one step ahead of the FIA, which often appeared powerless to police such systems. Despite a ban in 1993, there was widespread speculation that some teams were able to beat the system, consequently the FIA finally relented in 2001, aware that some of the devices being used were simply too sophisticated. The introduction of a standard ECU next season should make it easier for the FIA to police engine management systems, hence the decision to totally ban traction control. |
