Is FIA cheating?

[minirda]

I don't know if this topic is mentioned before here... I read on a dutch fansite that Cristiano DaMatta after Imola has declarded the following:

He explains what happened: "I was given a Drive Through penalty and followed my normal procedure when I came into the pits. That involves pressing two buttons - one for the pit lane speed limiter and one for the launch control. But the launch control button also disables the traction control and, of course, this time I was not actually stopping. I got to the first chicane, where I was caught out by not having any traction control and went off the circuit. It is a mistake, but very frustrating... The only thing to do is to look forward to Barcelona, a track that should be more suited to the TF104."

Does this mean there still exists launching control. Is DaMatta being too honest here?

[avsfan733]

he is probably referring to the launch control used to get away after a pitstop which i believe is stll legal, the only rule banning launch control is for the first 60 (?) ft of the race.

[Adam43]

There is launch control and there is launch control!

Specific things have been banned at the start (the way the clutch and engine power is controlled is regulated to a certain extent). However there is still plenty of things that can aid pulling away (anti-stall, different engine map(?), etc...) that aren't banned.

[Glen]

What they do now is pre-program the engine to put down as much power at the maximum rate as they calculate the track will tolerate. So they do some runs from their starting positions and gather data about grip level and then, come the start, the car just lays down power at a level just below the threshold which they have just determined. In this way Traction Control (that being a system which detects wheelspin and reacts to it, thereby doing some of the driving (sort of)) is not used and they are within the rules.

[hamsmith]

Even if Da Matta was letting somthing slip I think you are being harsh asking if the FIA is cheating. I think Toyota would be the first to be accused of cheating.

[RWC]

As the others have correctly said,there are still fully legal ways to enhance starts.

Yeah strange heading for this thread.
One could say that max NEVER cheats-he sticks by the rules every time............of course sticking by the rules,interpreting the rules,manipulating the rules and making 'new' rules whenever it suits him are also true.
One should expect such gutter dwelling lack of morals with lawyers/politicians (max is both)

[minirda]

Originally posted by hamsmith
Even if Da Matta was letting somthing slip I think you are being harsh asking if the FIA is cheating. I think Toyota would be the first to be accused of cheating.

You don't see wheelspinning on any car during the start, do you. If Toyota was the only team without wheelspinning my topic probably was called "Is Toyota cheating?"

[Speed]

Originally posted by minirda
You don't see wheelspinning on any car during the start, do you. If Toyota was the only team without wheelspinning my topic probably was called "Is Toyota cheating?"

"Is everybody cheating?" would be more appropriate...

[Knowlesy]

Strange that he says Barcelona will suit Toyota better....that track does no favours for cars with poor aerodynamics.

[hamsmith]

Originally posted by minirda
You don't see wheelspinning on any car during the start, do you. If Toyota was the only team without wheelspinning my topic probably was called "Is Toyota cheating?"

I don't remember ALL the cars wheelspinning before launch control was being used anyway.

[RWC]

Originally posted by knowlesy
Strange that he says Barcelona will suit Toyota better....that track does no favours for cars with poor aerodynamics.

Good point Knowlesy
I wondered why he said barcelona but didn't bother thinking too hard about it at the time.

I wonder if it's because the toyota has good aero efficiancy but ONLY on dead flat surfaces ?
Not sure if that is true but it could explain it

[Wrex]

How did this thread get called "Is FIA cheating?" What has the FIA got to do with this???????????

[Hugh Jarce]

Who cares - good titles always attract me - That's why I buy loads of Jilly Cooper novels.