[Anonymous]

Remember the Mclaren in the late 90s / early 00s, it had an ingenious design idea of having a third pedal. Ferrari became aware of this, complained and had it out lawed – just like Ferrari do, don`t rise to the technical challenge, just use their power to stop it.

Why / what technical reason did they and the FIA come up with to ban it ?

Could it be reintroduced, with modifications to make it legal / conform to the rules?

Just an idea, big up

[James_mc]

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.

[Mouse_Nightshirt]

Technically illegal for what reason exactly? It sounded pretty flaky if memory serves.

[James_mc]

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

[rampante]

It was illegal and it was banned. Secondary braking devices are not allowed and Mclaren broke the rules. Nearly every team complained why highlight Ferrari?

[Anonymous]

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.

[matt88]

A clever but illegal idea, as the ‘fan’ car.

[Scribe]

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.

[SoLiDG]

It is those things I like about F1. Really looking at every bit of the rules to exploit. It brings out the best in those guys.

Too bad they get banned. The f-duct imo isn’t that expensive and in the end all of the normal teams will have it.

[Boyce]

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.

[Author]

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