Walkinshaw: Tyres more important than TC

Walkinshaw believes that as Bridgestone and Michelin go head-to-head, the extra mechanical grip from softer tyres will negate much of the advantage offered by the return of the currently-banned driver aid.

"I don't think it [traction control] will make a lot of difference now," said Walkinshaw, "because the tyres are so sticky compared to where they were a year ago when they were rock hard. For a big advantage to come from traction control you wanted to do it a year ago, when you were running a hard control tyre with no competition.

"Now you have got competition [between Bridgestone and Michelin] the tyres are so sticky that there will not be much wheelspin, so to have traction control is a waste of time and money to be honest."

Traction control was banned at the end of 1993, but is set to make a return at this year's Spanish Grand Prix, following the unanimous agreement of Formula 1's team bosses at a meeting on Wednesday (Click here to see separate story).

The competition between the two tyre companies has already lead to some surprisingly quick lap times during winter testing. This year's cars, which have reduced downforce due to changes in the aerodynamic regulations for 2001, have surpassed their 2000 counterparts for pace, most notably with Jean Alesi shattering the F1 lap record at Estoril in the all-new Prost AP04.

While the increase in tyre performance might detract from the advantage of traction control, the main reason for its reintroduction is that it cannot be effectively policed by the FIA. While the drivers are all for a level playing field along the pit lane, some are concerned that the skill of throttle control will be lost.

"If you ask 'do I like it' [traction control] then no I don't," said Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello. "But at the end of the day if that's the way we are going to bring equality back and similarity between the teams, then obviously that's a good thing. But, all in all, I don't like the idea."

Several teams have been running traction control during winter testing in anticipation of its return, but McLaren's David Coulthard believes little development will be required as the electronic systems will not have changed a great deal since they were last used in 1993.

"I have only done one test with the gizmos at Jerez in December," said Coulthard. "I'm not sure whether Mika [Hakkinen] has done any running with it. I doubt it. We've kind of developed it and put it to one side. A lot of that traction control stuff they had sitting on the shelf from '93."