I remember seeing a picture of Gilles Villeneuve negotiating a corner with his Ferrari. His maneuver seemed faultless as his car was perfectly angled for a fast exit. The one thing odd that struck me was the fact that his front tires were pointing the opposite direction: an indication that Villeneuve was in a controlled slide.
All I could think of in my mind was 'WOW'. Drifting a Formula 1 car was the stuff of legend.
But with the ever-increasing advances in technology, Formula 1 drivers never had the same opportunity to highlight such skills: especially during the traction control era.
Traction Control Systems (TCS) allowed the drivers to be more relaxed in a way. Rather than masterfully controlling the throttle, they would step on the accelerator as though it was a button. It was either full throttle or no input at all.
Drivers had nothing to lose. The TCS would hinder unnecessary wheelspin anyway; preventing any loss of time. Only ridiculously bad errors caused scenarios that the system (and other driving aids for that matter) could not compensate for.
As such, many racing fans have voiced out that nowadays, the machine had taken over the man.
For the 2008 Formula 1 season however, the FIA has banned the existence of driving aids in an attempt to re-emphasize driver skill. The pinnacle of Motor Sport should be reserved only for racing's elite, the cream-of-the-crop and the best-of-the-best. Surely the world's greatest drivers do not need any driving aid whatsoever.
And so it happened, the pinnacle of Motor racing, to establish itself as the undisputed pinnacle of the sport, have gone backwards in a way.
Usually, advancements in the racing scene would make their way into production cars to enhance speed, comfort and safety. More and more cars are being equipped with TCS, ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) and ESC (electronic stability control) systems.
In the case of Formula 1, it is doing away with such advancements. Not when it is interfering too much with the 'man'.
Of course, the fans are satisfied. The races have become more exciting and unpredictable.
The Malaysian GP would have been a sure Ferrari 1-2 victory a year ago. But with the abscence of driver aids, a slight error from Felipe Massa caused an unexpected retirement as he spun out of contention.
Yes, by going backwards, Formula 1 has returned to its own unforgiving self: intolerant to even the slightest mistakes. It has returned to being a sport that demands only perfection from its participants. It has become once again a sport that promotes the extreme idealism of unsurpassed excellence the way Gilles Villeneuve drifted his Ferrari.
All I could think of in my mind was 'WOW'. Drifting a Formula 1 car was the stuff of legend.
But with the ever-increasing advances in technology, Formula 1 drivers never had the same opportunity to highlight such skills: especially during the traction control era.
Traction Control Systems (TCS) allowed the drivers to be more relaxed in a way. Rather than masterfully controlling the throttle, they would step on the accelerator as though it was a button. It was either full throttle or no input at all.
Drivers had nothing to lose. The TCS would hinder unnecessary wheelspin anyway; preventing any loss of time. Only ridiculously bad errors caused scenarios that the system (and other driving aids for that matter) could not compensate for.
As such, many racing fans have voiced out that nowadays, the machine had taken over the man.
For the 2008 Formula 1 season however, the FIA has banned the existence of driving aids in an attempt to re-emphasize driver skill. The pinnacle of Motor Sport should be reserved only for racing's elite, the cream-of-the-crop and the best-of-the-best. Surely the world's greatest drivers do not need any driving aid whatsoever.
And so it happened, the pinnacle of Motor racing, to establish itself as the undisputed pinnacle of the sport, have gone backwards in a way.
Usually, advancements in the racing scene would make their way into production cars to enhance speed, comfort and safety. More and more cars are being equipped with TCS, ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) and ESC (electronic stability control) systems.
In the case of Formula 1, it is doing away with such advancements. Not when it is interfering too much with the 'man'.
Of course, the fans are satisfied. The races have become more exciting and unpredictable.
The Malaysian GP would have been a sure Ferrari 1-2 victory a year ago. But with the abscence of driver aids, a slight error from Felipe Massa caused an unexpected retirement as he spun out of contention.
Yes, by going backwards, Formula 1 has returned to its own unforgiving self: intolerant to even the slightest mistakes. It has returned to being a sport that demands only perfection from its participants. It has become once again a sport that promotes the extreme idealism of unsurpassed excellence the way Gilles Villeneuve drifted his Ferrari.
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