Share this article on LinkedIn Email

Ferrari's team manager Luca Baldisserri believes Lewis Hamilton could have a tough time coping with the new regulations banning driving aids.

Traction control will be banned from this season, meaning several drivers, including Hamilton, will race in Formula One without it for the first time in their lives.

Hamilton enjoyed a stunning debut season last year, going on to finish second in the championship, but Baldisserri reckons the McLaren driver will have a tougher time without driving aids.

The Briton raced without traction control in GP2 in 2006, when he went on to clinch the title.

"I think that, with these new regulations, Lewis Hamilton may have a rough time," Baldisserri was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.

"For sure he won't be able to carry on driving the way he has, and even though he raced and won in GP2 without traction control, he was on different tyres."

Baldisserri also believes Formula One has gone back ten years due to the introduction of the new rules, but he thinks the show will benefit from it.

"Despite the safety problems associated with engine management have been solved by now, there are still some doubts on reliability," he added.

"You only need to look at the functionality on the steering wheel to realize we've gone backwards by ten years. But I think this is the right route especially if the spectacle will be better, which I hope it will."

When asked what will change this year, he added: "The start, for example: up to now it was 20% down to driver's ability and 80% electronics, while now it will be the other way around.

"The tyres will wear out in a different way and it will be hard to manage them, so we'll have to rethink race strategies. Most of all, without electronic aids it will be harder to regain control of the car after making a mistake."

