Slick tyres on test in Spain

[Scott]

I don't see it that way.  I agree, but not for the same reasons.  I think drivers that have been in F1 for at least a few years will have the most trouble throughout the season, mainly because they are not used to driving anything BUT a TC car.  The younger ones will have a trouble early on because in all their experience, they have never encountered a car with as drastic a weight/power ratio as the F1 beast, and to try it without TC will be pretty terrifying.

[Alianora La Canta]

I suspect that anyone who was on the grid before the Spanish GP 2001 will be fine (they've already driven non-TC F1 cars before and know what to expect). Anyone who's outright new (or nearly new, like Nakajima) in 2008 will also be fine (following on from Clive's point, they've got to re-learn everything to transfer to F1 anyway and know it, so a lack of TC will simply be incorporated into the learning programme).

The ones who may hit trouble will be the ones who started in between. Felipe Massa has already indicated that he's not keen on the non-TC mode, and I read an interview in F1 Racing back in September where Robert Kubica said he preferred TC. Drivers with more positive attitudes and softer approaches to racing, such as Rosberg, will find it easier to adapt. However, all but one or two will have made the transition by the end of 2008. Anyone who hasn't will wash out of the system. It would be very unwise to predict who will completely fail to adapt to no TC at this stage.

[cosworth151]

Most of the grid had TC long before Spain 2001 - that's just when they made it legal! As I've said before, I think SeaBass will do well. He's been driving high power, high torque Champ Cars withiut TC or tire warmers for years.

[Alianora La Canta]

That is clear. Sebastien Bordais doesn't have to unlearn any bad habits learned under TC, and with Champ Cars he will have learned some good habits as well.

How long before Spain 2001 are you suggesting there was TC, though? That could change things, perhaps. Of the drivers pre-dating that race, Fernando Alonso had to do a whole pile of races at Minardi without TC (it wasn't exactly top priority for the smallest team on the grid), Jenson Button was butter-smooth from day one and Nick Heidfeld was in that abysmal Prost all through 2000. If TC was with some teams before 2000, though, maybe a shadow of suspicion may linger on a few other drivers...

[Steven Roy]

Benetton were penalised for 'still' having launch control in 1995(?).  A large part of launch control is traction control.

[cosworth151]

That is one of the reasons for standardized ECUs. It's way too easy to hide Traction Control and even Launch Control in the ECU's programming.

Think back a few years ago, when Launch Control was illegal, but there was a rash of cars just shutting off at the start. It sure smelled like LC glitches to me.