Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Button Wary of Traction Control

Briton Jenson Button said on Saturday he was wary about the return of traction control to Formula One but admitted it will help teams end the dominance of Ferrari and McLaren.

Briton Jenson Button said on Saturday he was wary about the return of traction control to Formula One but admitted it will help teams end the dominance of Ferrari and McLaren.

"This year I worked a lot on my throttle control and it has got better throughout the season," said Button at BMW Motorsport's end of season party. "But it will be difficult now to go to traction control.

"I'm not sure how different it will be but I suppose it will be better because we will be on the same playing field."

Button will drive for Benetton-Renault in 2001 after being loaned out by Williams for two years following a successful debut season.

His 2000 teammate at Williams, Germany's Ralf Schumacher, said the introduction of electronic driver aids would bring teams closer together and eradicate illegalities.

Schumacher said: "I have had no experience of traction control but I say get the electronic aids back.

"Some people seem to start regularly without wheelspin, I don't know how they do it. If we can all do that legally it must be better for Formula One."

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) on Friday gave the go-ahead for traction control systems in Formula One but said it would have to be part of a package of new measures to improve safety.

If new regulations are accepted by the World Motor Sport Council and team bosses, unrestricted engine electronics could be permitted by the Spanish Grand Prix in April. BMW Motorsport director Mario Thiessen said traction control was tested for the first time in testing at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain this week but added that preparations for 2001 were behind schedule.

"We have developed our own traction control system in the last month and we tested it in Jerez," said Thiessen. "Up until then we have never used it. It will take us some time to develop it further.

"At Jerez it was rough, not very good, and the traction control did not give much improvement to the car."

Thiessen's fellow BMW director Gerhard Berger, who drove with Ferrari in 1993 when traction control was last permitted, believed the FIA had no option but to introduce traction control because it cannot be policed effectively.

"It's nicer to have traction control but I still feel it takes something away from the driver," said Berger.

"But on the manufacturer's side we are convinced we can do a good job in this area and we are looking forward to working on it and using top technology."

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Door opened to traction control - but not yet…
Next article Berger Tips Button as Future Champion

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe