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User avatar
By McLaren Fan
#24712
From autosport.com:

Massa: new rules to cause more accidents

By Michele Lostia and Pablo Elizalde Friday, November 16th 2007, 09:52 GMT

Ferrari driver Felipe Massa believes the new rules for next season will lead to more accidents on wet races.

Driver aids have been banned for 2008 and all teams spent three days at Barcelona preparing their cars for the new regulations.

Massa said drivers will need to be a lot smoother next year, and has warned the lack of traction control is likely to lead to more crashes.

"It's interesting," Massa told Gazzetta dello Sport. "The throttle used to be like a button, you'd lift or floor it with no half measures. Now you need to be as smooth as possible.

"The laptimes have been good immediately, that's a sign that we've started on the right footing.

"But from a safety point of view, these limitations in the use of electronics look like a step backwards to me: in the event of wet races we'll have a lot more accidents. "


I find this a load of rubbish on a few levels. Formula One cars without traction control were used in cars and circuits which had much less safety standards.

Although I think safety levels are important, it would be bad if the sport became too sterile. A few many say it already has. If there were slightly more accidents, the risk of a driver being seriously injured or killed is small. Besides, drivers know what they are taking on and are well paid to do so. Within reason, I think Massa should stop complaining and get on with things.
User avatar
By madbrad
#24714
I'm betting against Ferrari in 08 because I think Massa is really saying he hates the banning of TC because his car can't perform this way.
User avatar
By deMuRe
#24717
Now why would Massa say something like that?

He would prefer a computer to feed the engine instead of his right foot?

Now that's not very sportsmanlike...
User avatar
By darwin dali
#24725
On the other hand, consumer cars are becoming more and more depending on electronic systems such as TC and electronic stabilizers, etc. F1 has always expressed the need for it to become more relevant to car manufacturers.


Ironically, FM said it while being the fastest...
By MrReasonable
#24728
It does raise a question of how many drivers are really going to be ready for no TC? If it rains in Austrailia, things could get a bit ugly.
User avatar
By bud
#24731
everyone hates change, drivers especially!
User avatar
By deMuRe
#24732
On the other hand, consumer cars are becoming more and more depending on electronic systems such as TC and electronic stabilizers, etc. F1 has always expressed the need for it to become more relevant to car manufacturers.


Ironically, FM said it while being the fastest...


I think F1 would lose it's appeal if it became more like the consumer car market. I know the manufacturers advertise technology transfer between their F1 teams and their consumer cars however we all know the link is not that strong...
User avatar
By 7UpJordan
#24733
I think Massa should go watch a video of some of Senna's greatest victories/performances in the wet a'la Monaco 1984 and Portugal 1985, he didn't have traction control back then so Massa should take note of this.
User avatar
By f1ea
#24749
I don't think "fatal" crashes will go up with banning TC, you may get a few more weird corner exits but that should be about all (assuming the "start" button/program to begin the race will remain unchanged). In wet races anything can happen anyway, so it not only depends on TC or not...

Massa is just showing he's anxious about racing without TC (as he's always had TC).

But he was fastest recently... so I'm sure his anxiety will go down once he gets a few poles/podiums next year.
User avatar
By bud
#24751
he might have been fastest on one lap but how consistent was he? how is his tyre wear? maybe he has alot of work to do in testing to ge things right to race and be fast for an entire GP
User avatar
By f1ea
#24760
how is his tyre wear? maybe he has alot of work to do in testing to ge things right to race and be fast for an entire GP


Yes you are right, he (and everyone) still has a lot of work to do, but being fastest in testing is a good starting point, at least you know you are not crippled...
User avatar
By madbrad
#24768
It does raise a question of how many drivers are really going to be ready for no TC? If it rains in Austrailia, things could get a bit ugly.


Thereby increasing the spectacle, and in turn the thickness of Bernie's wallet.
User avatar
By texasmr2
#24771
Yah Massa was crying like a baby imo but he did finish at the top of the timesheet's when the testing ended so maybe he has come to grip's with no TC.

he might have been fastest on one lap but how consistent was he? how is his tyre wear? maybe he has alot of work to do in testing to ge things right to race and be fast for an entire GP.

I could not agree more bud.
User avatar
By darwin dali
#24773
Luckily FM has a true expert at hand: the rainmeister :D
User avatar
By McLaren Fan
#24786
Ironically, FM said it while being the fastest...

I was thinking the same but, then again, as several people have raised, we don't know what setup on which his car may have been.
Luckily FM has a true expert at hand: the rainmeister :D

Schumacher was good in the rain, however, there was only ever one true rain master and he died on May 1st 1994.

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