Max Mosley is trying to get a standardised Electronic Control Unit (ECU) put into the cars. This seems to me to be a good idea as a) it’s something that not many fans care about, b) it will be lots cheaper and c) it returns some of the need for skill back to the driver. Which all seems pretty good. Also it would be really interesting to see how much of the Renault’s starts is software related and how much is physically due to the car (my guess is 50:50).

Anyway while Max was talking about this he mentioned the following thing:

This debate goes back to the early 1990s, and I still have a Christmas card from Ayrton Senna containing a handwritten message saying that we must get rid of electronic aids in F1.

Which made me think: Wow Senna was really committed to F1. He couldn’t just send a Christmas card, he had to get in a political point too.

btw. He was almost certainly talking about the Benneton ECU which was suspected of helping Schumacher. As Benneton have become Renault and also stand to loose most this casts Flavio Briatore in an interesting light. He mustn’t be such a Neanderthal after all.