F1 Fanatic

Don’t it could return.

It was a second brake pedal which allowed the drivers (Hakkinen and Coulthard) to apply braking force to wheels individually (effectively a manual traction control).

I think that it was a photographer from F1 racing spotted that, unusually, the brake discs of the McLarens were glowing through fast corners which would under normal circumstances be flat-out. After waiting most of the season to get his chance, when Hakkinen’s engine expired, the guy took his chance and poked his camera inside the McLaren’s cockpit and discovered an additional pedal.

Following publication of the pictures, Charlie Whiting and the FIA were pretty prompt in pointing out to McLaren that the third pedal was technically illegal.

As you could brake independently, it counts as some form of traction control/aid.

The third pedal was not a driver aid,
even though it facilitated traction control, it was still full driver control.
No computerized “gizmo” / black box. Driver skill was still required.
Like with most things, there are ways of interpreting the rule book. What conforms and what does not. It was a clever idea.

or the f-duct. Legal in the letter of the rules, sign of the times that it got banned. Good innovation had uses in road car industry.

Williams and Jordan also had a rear wheel braking system in place when it was banned. I can’t see it being reintroduced because FIA don’t like to see too high cornering speeds. McLaren still like the idea though and stick a similar system on their road car.