Drivers welcome move to outlaw traction control.

The decision to re-introduce the ban on traction control systems from 2008 has been applauded by the drivers' competing in the sport.

Speaking in the official FIA press conference on Thursday, prior to this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix, the second round in the 2007 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, all five drivers' present more or less backed the decision to get rid of it and said they couldn't really see any problems with doing so.

"I have worked with the TC now for a couple of years and it was interesting to do that, but I think it is the right direction to go," said BMW Sauber ace, Nick Heidfeld. "I also think it could make the races a bit more interesting especially if you pressure the car in front of you. It will be a little bit easier to make mistakes. We will see maybe a little more sliding, but ideally we will try not to slide too much."

Nico Rosberg echoed those thoughts, although he was keen to point out that the effect of traction control is often, in his view, over emphasised.

"It is a good step, although I must say I think it is exaggerated how much people believe traction control makes it so much easier," he confirmed. "I think that is not really the fact.

"You still need to control it yourself with the foot occasionally and things like that so it is not going to make a huge difference but it can increase the fun a bit."

David Coulthard, who is now one of the 'old guys', reckoned it just another change: "During my time in Formula One, I have gone from three and a half litres, slick cars, wide track... right through to what we have today. So honestly it is just another thing to keep everybody talking," he continued.

"You will still have Formula One. You will still have the quickest car-driver combination running at the front and the slowest at the back. People will talk about it being more pure and it is more this and that... but it is just another development.

"The key thing is that potentially in wet or damp conditions it will be a little more unpredictable for the drivers and that has always been the area in which traction control has helped the most. I think in dry conditions, the driver has an in-built traction control system and that won't change."

Takuma Sato meanwhile was the only one that had any real reservations and that was more in terms of safety: "I think it is good for the sport, but there is a little concern for safety because Formula One has developed so much and aerodynamics and tyre characteristics on all the tracks now are in a narrow, narrow band now and it is really peaky to drive, so obviously traction control is a tool that helps to make you attack at the maximum," he explained.

"But having said that we have changed the regulations for the engine and with a normal three litre V10 engine I would be surprised and a little worried about that much power without traction control in the wet, but nowadays I think we can cope and hopefully we have more exciting racing," he summed-up.