Traction control clears penultimate hurdle

The package will be fine-tuned by another TWG meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) and will then be put before the sport's rule-making body, the FIA World Motorsports Council, on February 14 for rubber-stamping. Traction control will then legally return at the Spanish Grand Prix on April 29.

Traction control was outlawed at the end of 1993, but concerns have arisen since that the ban is unpoliceable and that a number of teams have been using the system illegally.

Following a recommendation from the TWG last December, the sport's governing body agreed to allow a number of electronic driver aids back into F1 on the condition that they were re-introduced as part of a wider package of safety measures.

An earlier re-introduction was vetoed by Ferrari and a small number of other teams on the grounds that they would not be able to properly prepare and fine-tune their systems in time for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 4.

Speaking on Monday, Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn said the team had no objections to the return of the driver aids, but added: "It won't just be traction control [coming back], but the complete revamping of engines and gearboxes, which had big implications on the reliability of our engine."

Winter testing has seen the F1 teams already putting in considerable time and effort to develop their systems. The new measures will also allow teams to run semi-automatic or fully-automatic gearboxes, but will still forbid the use of electronically-controlled torque-steer differentials and braking systems, pending further agreements.