Traction control just one step away from return

The Formula 1 Commission, which comprises representatives from all 11 teams, met on Wednesday to finalise the proposal for traction control to be allowed back in F1 as of this year's Spanish Grand Prix on April 29. Once the F1 Commission unanimously agrees, it is then up for approval by the FIA World Council, which is the rule-making body of world motorsport.

The lift on the traction control ban was delayed in December when Ferrari, Minardi and the Ferrari-engined teams of Prost and Sauber are believed to have voted against the proposal, but Autosport.com's sources suggest Wednesday's meeting went ahead without hitches. Many teams want the device legalised after speculation that rival outfits were using it, and that it was going undetected by scrutineers.

"I think the meeting went very smoothly," said an F1 insider. "I don't envisage there to be any problems."

With all the teams in agreement, it now remains for the World Council to rubber stamp the return of the driver aid by a fax vote before March 1. However, in return, the FIA wants certain technical devices fitted to the cars in an effort to improve safety.

"They [the teams] want to bring back traction control," said FIA President Max Mosley, "and we are saying 'alright we'll do that, but we want all sorts of new devices on the cars'. For example, a collision warning device, to warn the driver when they are driving in the rain, or a driver starter-balk device, for when the driver has a problem on the start line, plus another device which will restrict the speed on certain sections of the track."

It is unsure when such safety aids will actually be fitted to the cars, but with the return of traction control looming, Mosley hopes it's sooner rather than later.

"The most sophisticated ones would probably take two or three years," he said. "But as for the relatively simple things, like warning that there's another car in front or the speed restrictions in certain parts of the circuit, we ought to see that within 12 months."