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Breaking News
Launch control ban at Monaco?
May 18: Its believed that safety fears could force the FIA to ban launch control at next weeks Monaco GP.
The talking point following last weekends Austrian GP and at Valencia this week has been launch control and whether it should be banned at Monaco next week.
In his post Austrian GP report, Planet F1s Bob Constanduros summed up the dilemma facing the FIA perfectly.
What did you do at the start of the Austrian Grand Prix? wrote Bob Laugh? Cry? Gasp in apprehension? Perhaps gasp at the futility of it all. Now, fast forward two weeks and imagine four cars stationary on the grid when the lights go out in the narrow confines of the Boulevard Albert 1er which also doubles as the start of the Monaco Grand Prix. Good laugh, eh?
In no way am I criticising the FIA for letting us enjoy the thrill of launch control. Their motives for allowing this new technological age are perfectly logical. But I suspect there might be a little missive to teams in the next few days along the lines of 'if doesn't work properly, and you have the slightest doubt about your launch control, could you please not bother to even try and use it in Monaco?' from the FIA.
Because if we have the same scenario as we had at the A1-Ring, where Jordan (one car, not two; Frentzen's was a jammed gearbox - perhaps because of launch control), McLaren, Ferrari (with Michael Schumacher's car) and Sauber all had problems, as we've seen with others in the past, we are going to have chaos at the sport's most prestigious race, and that can't be anything but bad.
There isn't the space at the pit lane exit where teams can attempt to test their latest modifications in comparison to the last race, so let me even add something to that last fantasist plea. The FIA might even ask every team not to use launch control at all in Monaco.
It might have taken them a while to catch on and we know that several of the teams and drivers read our site avidly, along were proud to say with veterans such as Chris Amon and Dan Gurney but at long last the penny has dropped.
The Monaco GP is F1s jewel in the crown and although racing through the tight confines of the principality in itself is madness, the sport certainly cant afford to add to the risk by risking a multi-car pile just yeads form the beautiful people.
Launch control has caused problems in both races staged since electronic gizmos were re-introduced in spain and thus far weve been lucky not to have had a major disaster on our hands.
Several drivers have already expressed their fears and its believed that the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) might call on the FIA to ban launch control for one race only.
Traction control and the other electronic driver aids were introduced, much to the chagrin of fans and many drivers, simply because the FIA couldnt police them. Therefore although the devices could be banned in Monaco whos to say that the FIA would know.
We understand that the teams have discussed the situation during this weeks test at Valencia and that opinions differ. However the problem at Monaco is exacerbated by the fact that drivers are not allowed to make practice starts, which in turns means that they will be unable to test their launch control systems.
Lets hope that a decision is made soon and that its the right decision. Motor sport fans have has shed more than enough tears already this year.
Breaking News
Launch control ban at Monaco?
May 18: Its believed that safety fears could force the FIA to ban launch control at next weeks Monaco GP.
The talking point following last weekends Austrian GP and at Valencia this week has been launch control and whether it should be banned at Monaco next week.
In his post Austrian GP report, Planet F1s Bob Constanduros summed up the dilemma facing the FIA perfectly.
What did you do at the start of the Austrian Grand Prix? wrote Bob Laugh? Cry? Gasp in apprehension? Perhaps gasp at the futility of it all. Now, fast forward two weeks and imagine four cars stationary on the grid when the lights go out in the narrow confines of the Boulevard Albert 1er which also doubles as the start of the Monaco Grand Prix. Good laugh, eh?
In no way am I criticising the FIA for letting us enjoy the thrill of launch control. Their motives for allowing this new technological age are perfectly logical. But I suspect there might be a little missive to teams in the next few days along the lines of 'if doesn't work properly, and you have the slightest doubt about your launch control, could you please not bother to even try and use it in Monaco?' from the FIA.
Because if we have the same scenario as we had at the A1-Ring, where Jordan (one car, not two; Frentzen's was a jammed gearbox - perhaps because of launch control), McLaren, Ferrari (with Michael Schumacher's car) and Sauber all had problems, as we've seen with others in the past, we are going to have chaos at the sport's most prestigious race, and that can't be anything but bad.
There isn't the space at the pit lane exit where teams can attempt to test their latest modifications in comparison to the last race, so let me even add something to that last fantasist plea. The FIA might even ask every team not to use launch control at all in Monaco.
It might have taken them a while to catch on and we know that several of the teams and drivers read our site avidly, along were proud to say with veterans such as Chris Amon and Dan Gurney but at long last the penny has dropped.
The Monaco GP is F1s jewel in the crown and although racing through the tight confines of the principality in itself is madness, the sport certainly cant afford to add to the risk by risking a multi-car pile just yeads form the beautiful people.
Launch control has caused problems in both races staged since electronic gizmos were re-introduced in spain and thus far weve been lucky not to have had a major disaster on our hands.
Several drivers have already expressed their fears and its believed that the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) might call on the FIA to ban launch control for one race only.
Traction control and the other electronic driver aids were introduced, much to the chagrin of fans and many drivers, simply because the FIA couldnt police them. Therefore although the devices could be banned in Monaco whos to say that the FIA would know.
We understand that the teams have discussed the situation during this weeks test at Valencia and that opinions differ. However the problem at Monaco is exacerbated by the fact that drivers are not allowed to make practice starts, which in turns means that they will be unable to test their launch control systems.
Lets hope that a decision is made soon and that its the right decision. Motor sport fans have has shed more than enough tears already this year.
Who was cheating?
You just forgot the /url at the end.
