In his second article, Andrew Luu writes about how the current grid of drivers are likely to prosper without the biggest of the driver aids, Traction Control.

With a little comparison to past masters, Andrew puts the grid into three categories and considers the prospects.

His personal experience and passion for F1 makes Andrew an interesting writer.

I think his conclusions are probably spot on. Enjoy.

Mark. 

Life After the Ban

Who Will Shine in the Post Traction Control Era?

BY ANDREW LUU

Traction control works like this: A driver brakes for a corner and then starts to ease off as he approaches the apex. Upon reaching the apex the driver begins squeezing the throttle. The straighter the car points the more the throttle can be applied. If the driver applies too much throttle and the sensors anticipate impending wheelspin, power is reduced by retarding the ignition to the point of maximum power delivery for the traction available. In other words it helps the driver tread closer to the limit.

So the question now is: Who will benefit most from the extinction of this technology? The answer depends mostly on what category a driver falls into.

After years of watching Formula One, attending numerous racing schools and riding shotgun with seasoned professionals like three-time Le Mans champion Hurley Haywood and former F1 pilot Ukyo Katayama, I’ve come to learn that racing drivers in their most basic form fall into one of three categories: Operational, Feel and All-Around.

Jarno Trulli, Giancarlo Fisichella, David Coulthard, Anthony Davidson, Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button are what I’d classify as Operational Drivers and will likely be the slowest to adapt to the traction control ban. 

These drivers don’t make a name for themselves with on-track battles and bold passes, but rather their success comes from being consistent and technical. This style works best when the car and conditions are also consistent.

When the variables fluctuate an Operational Driver falls outside their element. Take Coulthard for example. He was never a poor qualifier until a single-lap system came along in 2004. He struggled massive when given just one lap to get it all right. When a multi-lap format returned in ’06 and he could again build his performance over several tries, his form improved.

When Ferrari took five straight drivers titles, Barrichello never finished outside the top four in the overall standings. In 2005 when his Ferrari was no longer consistently fast, he barely stayed in the top 10. 

Traction control complements an Operational Driver’s methodical approach because it creates established handling parameters like negating excessive wheel spin every time. That makes them fast because they like a car that is predictable and consistent rather than one with an edgy rear end that can be steered by the throttle. 

Now that the driver is solely responsible for laying down the power in every corner of every lap those parameters are much less defined.

And with tire wear increasing thanks to the ban, handling will fluctuate even more during a grand prix. An Operational Driver’s dependency on consistency to be fast leaves them with the potential to struggle most.

Feel Drivers are at their best when human factors play a larger role in overall performance. Gilles Villeneuve was a Feel Driver and a spectacular one at that. He drifted an F1 car and took risks like no other driver in history. On a wet Monaco track in an era where there was no traction control he was in a league of his own. Ayrton Senna also falls into this category.

Robert Kubica, Adrian Sutil, Kaz Nakajima, Felipe Massa and Takuma Sato make up the Feel Drivers on this year’s grid. You can tell as these drivers rely more on their natural instincts as often displayed by their bold overtaking maneuvers, especially early in their careers. 

Juan Pablo Montoya was a superb Feel Driver. Every F1 fan remembers Montoya forcing his Williams past Michael Schumacher in the final corners at Spa.

But the more electronic driver aids evolved especially after it was legalized in 2001, the less he was able to manipulate the handling with his right foot and utilize his uncanny seat-of-the-pants driving style.  

When caught in a full spin, Villeneuve used to shift his Ferrari into first gear, drop the clutch, and slam on the gas to pull himself straight again. Try that with traction control.

To get out of a slide or oversteer smoothly you need complete throttle control. Keeping the tires spinning is one way to save a slide and traction control hinders a driver’s ability to feel his way out of it.  

 Montoya provided interesting insight into how this driver aid took away that control after he spun out of the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix. In his approach to turn two at Catalunya, Montoya said he would simply stand on the throttle and lean on the traction control to sort it all out. The electronics took over his “feel” and when it suddenly cut out he went into an unexpected spin.  

Sato began his racing career at 19 years of age. His late start showed it wasn’t experience, but rather a raw ability to “feel” a racing car that took him to F1 in just five years. And today no one will argue that Sato is one of the most fearless overtakers on the grid. Just ask Fernando Alonso.

As the balance shifts more towards the driver, the car’s new handling characteristics should match a driver like Taku who is at their quickest when they can freely manipulate a car without an electronic barrier in between.   

The downside to a Feel Driver is that if they are too eager, mistakes will be amplified and probably why Massa has been one of the few drivers voicing negative implications of the ban. Massa finally tamed his wild side in a traction controlled car. He is now successful, but might be nervous about returning to his old style especially when Kimi Raikkonen drives the same car.

Drivers like Raikkonen, Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Heikki Kovalainen, Mark Webber, Sebastien Bourdais, Sebastian Vettel, and Nick Heidfeld are the All-Around Drivers and should adapt quickly to life after the ban.

They are identified by their ability to operate consistently in clean air and also feel out an attack when only a pass will move them up the grid.

That said we probably won’t see much of a performance change from the All-Around Drivers as they tend to perform near the peak of their abilities regardless of the car or conditions. Raikkonen, Hamilton and Alonso will always be among the fastest, Heidfeld will produce podiums and the others can be expected continue their form as shown in 2007.

Rookies Nelson Piquet and Timo Glock may benefit coming from a TC-free GP2. However, piloting an F1 car is never easy so their form remains to be seen.

If you’re looking for the ban to stir up the grid, expect to see the biggest sparks from the Feel Drivers. They progressed up the motorsport ladder by dancing unaided on the limits, but then had their balance unsettled when it came under electronic supervision. 

As Formula One moves to reignite the bond between driver and car, the Feel Drivers will once again have the chance to shake a racing car’s rear like only they can.