One change, as yet unconfirmed, is however likely to have a big impact on the way the driver drives and the car handles. It is expected that we will see the return of traction control after a gap of 8 years.

The F1 Technical Working Group reportedly held a meeting in early November to discuss the situation, and members voted overwhelmingly in favour of reintroducing the electronic aid.
Although many key F1 players are not in favour of traction control, they accept that it has been possible for teams to use it illegally, and that things would be fairer if the rules were changed to give no-one an unfair advantage.
The FIA revealed earlier this season that they were aware a small number of teams had been cheating, and this is likely to be a key point in the case for traction control to be brought back to the grid. Further discussions are expected to take place on December 7th.

Heinz-Harald welcomes the levelling of the playing field, but does not like the fact that traction control takes away some of the skill required to drive a Formula One car well, especially in the wet. Many skills that, differentiate one driver from another, will be lost.
“As you are well aware traction control makes the car very much easier to drive, especially in the wet, when a computer looks after wheel-spin instead of the sensitivity of a driver's right foot as he tries to feed 800 hp onto the slippery track.
“With traction control you simply have to point the car in the right direction and step on the throttle. It takes most of the skill out of wet weather driving and although it will ever turn a bad driver into a good one, it could make him look a lot better than he really is. The good drivers will still make a better job of braking or turning into the corners at the right speed, but traction control will make it all the harder to shine.

“I can understand why the FIA wants to keep the emphasis on the driver and not the skills of the computer programmers, but they have little choice in the matter, which they cannot be expected to control other than, ban ALL computer technology on cars, which would be a giant step backwards.

“Launch control systems will do similar things to the race starts. With everyone sure to have a maximum performance off the line with no stalled engines or wheel-spin it will make the starts a lot closer and, ultimately, safer if there are no cars lagging off the grid. However, it will also take a lot of personal satisfaction away from the race for me, for a really good start will become nothing special any more. Now it will be down to simple reaction times as the lights go out."