Massa says that "there will be more accidents"

[nescio]

andyps said:

How did Massa get into F1 if he hasn't driven without TC? Just about all the lower formula manage without, albeit with less power. In my view, if they think it is going to cause accidents, and are worried about this prospect, they should not have a superlicence.

I think Massa is right in his assessment - without TC there will be one more thing the driver can get wrong and of course some of them will, at least sometimes.

IMHO, what makes it difficult for the current drivers is that they are not used to no TC any more (only very few active drivers have actually driven a F1 without TC before). Also, a 2.4l engine with the power output of a F1 engine will have a very peaky and narrow torque characteristic. That really gives room for error (especially in the wet). I think engine setup will be much more focused on driveability next year. With TC, that was not so much of a priority.

But, in the end, they will manage, being b****y good drivers.

[hostile17]

Forgive the language, but Massa's a p*ssy.

nescio said:

That really gives room for error (especially in the wet).

That, to my mind, is a good thing. More room for error means those drivers who have been too reliant on TC to sort out everything on the exit of a corner will have to work harder. Drivers who already have good throttle control will (hopefully) be able to make a difference by being smooth and progressive.

And let's be honest here, more errors will mean more action on-track, making the races more interesting for both drivers and fans alike.

Edited by hostile17 on Tuesday 20th November 14:55

[Jungles]

As a former European F3000 champion, I don't think Massa has problem with controlling his accelerator pedal.

What he said is essentially true: there will be more accidents, if drivers who have over-relied on TC continue to drive the same way. Massa reckons the throttle feels like a button, which is again not surprising. The engine and throttle configurations will need to be tweaked.

It will be interesting to see if the new generation of drivers will have an edge next year after coming out fresh from GP2 and World Series by Renault. Nico, Heikki, Glock, Vettel, et al., not to mention Hamilton. Bourdais' car control should be interesting to observe too - he will be the only F1 driver to have recently raced a top-tier open wheel car without TC.

Edited by Jungles on Monday 26th November 01:12