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Teams aim to retain traction control

Grand Prix teams are pushing to retain the use of traction and launch control systems beyond the start of next season, but the FIA is heavily opposed to such a move

It was predicted that while the F1 teams would clash with FIA president Max Mosley over the banning of traction control and other driver aids, and they have, doing so at Imola today.

Speaking about recent meetings of F1's leading technical brains to thrash out the sport's future, Mosley said: "The teams want to hang onto traction and launch control and we've agreed to have a major meeting about it, but the FIA decision is that we're not happy that they continue to use traction control, launch control and fully automatic gearboxes after 2004. There is broad agreement on standard components and they have agreed to look at a standard rear wing. I think we'll probably have full agreement on all points within the next few weeks."

Traction control is, however, an emotive issue within the sport. Mosley admitted that the teams still have grave concerns about the FIA's ability to police any ban. "Number one there's the issue of mutual suspicion," Mosley said. "Then there's the attitude that we've got it, we've bought it, we have it, so why get rid of it? Thirdly, they say that doing the best technology on the engine without using electronics in this way is very difficult. But I actually think that the real number one reason is that each team thinks it has got the ultimate system and that they don't want to give up something that they think gives them an advantage.

"What I've said to them is that it is not about what they want of what I want. I do think that the public perception that you can press a button at the start of the Monaco GP and if you've got better software than the guy alongside, then you'll be first into Ste Devote, is a problem. It is not what we expect from the best drivers in the world. The overwhelming majority of the public are against it. When we put back the implementation date for the ban until 2004, we got a lot of e-mail that said we'd sold out. A lot of observers from the outside take a lot of convincing." Expect this to run for some time yet...

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