The New Year is underway, and for F1 fans that means one thing – new car launches! The next few weeks will see a variety of unveilings, but nothing on the scale of Mclarens Valencia extravaganza of last season, nor the flashy Renault efforts peppered with celebrity and show.
Indeed, McLaren had announced there would be no formal unveiling of the MP4-23, but have reneged on that decision and will now pull the covers off at the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart in a few days time. Williams, however, intend to do away with all the razzmatazz and go straight to the circuit at the upcoming Jerez test.
Of course, while we all engage our eagle-eyes and magnifying glasses in order to find the minute detail changes – no walrus noses these days – we know, deep down, that the new XYZ will be an ‘evolution’ – PR speak for ‘just like last years, with a few changes’ – of the previous model. Recent words, mind you, have hinted otherwise in one camp at least.
''Yes, it's very different from last year's car. It's radically changed; it has completely new aerodynamic bodywork.”
So says Jarno Trulli of the forthcoming Toyota TF108. Radically changed, in this day and age? What can we expect?
To be honest, I doubt very much whether any truly radical changes will be seen, as what is considered radical today (a couple of centimetres higher at the nose, a turning vane where there was not one before) is not a true reflection of the word. We can live in hope, though, as Jarno goes on to talk about his recent exploits – is this, I wonder, a clue:
''I've tried out a bob sledge. Very exciting.”
Lightweight, and without traction control, but perhaps a step too far.
The traction control element – or lack of it – has raised comments among the drivers.
“I’ve always been in favour of reducing the (influence of) electronics. This year traction control will be gone.”
Quite right, Jarno, and we all welcome it. But what’s this, in an article on Autosport.com….
"The only worry I have about driving without traction control is racing in wet conditions. It's going to be very dangerous.”
So says Jenson Button, a man whose driving style is expected to suit the TC-less machines. And there’s more:
"In terms of safety, this is a big step backwards. For sure, we will have more accidents and racing in wet conditions will be very dangerous.”
That’s the view of Felipe Massa, Ferrari’s much improved Brazilian. And David Coulthard, an ardent safety campaigner, expresses the following concern:
"We don't want to see a monstrous shunt where somebody rides over another car, goes into the crowd or has an accident like (Alex) Zanardi [at the Lausitzring in 2001].”
Nobody wants to see monstrous shunts, and certainly not those that result in the terrible injuries Zanardi sustained, but the question arises – how would Traction Control have prevented that particular shunt, or others like it?
My mind is cast back to Hockenheim, 1982, a race at which Didier Pironi – then in a Ferrari – slammed into the back of Alain Prosts Renault in the rain, was launched into the air and suffered career-ending injuries to his legs. That, too, would not have been avoided thanks to traction control. Granted, we know TC makes things safer, but it is not the be all and end all.
Coulthard again:
“Fernando Alonso aquaplaned off the road in Fuji (last year) - even with TC. The electronics still couldn't support him…”
Indeed, David, but it has to be said others – most of them – did not.
It is further reported the drivers have ‘opened a dialogue’ with Charlie Whiting. Quite what the result will be, but surely the obvious advice ‘drive slower’ will be a good part of it?
Of course, I don’t have to drive a Formula One car in the rain, but these guys knew what they were getting into when they took on the job.
Oddly, it is Max Mosley who adds the most honest and clear cut comment to the debate:
"Driving in the wet is quite dangerous – with or without traction control.”
Quite. And driving at 200mph is dangerous anyhow, in the dry, with or without traction control.
While doubting that drivers will refuse to race in the wet (although extreme conditions have in the past seen some very famous instances of such) such complaints risk them being labelled as whining, overpaid prima donnas. Safety is paramount – naturally – but this writer doubts that the expected increase in mistakes leading to accident will be quite as noticeable as we are led to believe.
These men are, after all, meant to be the very best at what they do.
Source – Autosport.com, 3/1/2008
Written by Steve Turnbull on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 11:41:29
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