In defence of: front torque transfer
Back in 1998 when I was at the Benetton Formula 1 team, we had Nick Wirth as the chief designer. He was always trying to think up innovative ideas, and one was the FTT system – a differential between the two front wheels that would transfer torque from the loaded outside wheel. In theory, it would help the drivers to brake later and improve cornering stability.
Because the restricted space prohibited a mechanical-style diff, the designers came up with a cylinder packed with sintered plates in a viscous fluid. After extensive R&D work, the first unit was fitted to a modified B198, mounted on the front bulkhead. Such was its complexity, it took two guys to fit the top steering-arm bolts.
We tested it with Giancarlo Fisichella at Magny-cours, and a water tanker sprayed its contents onto a section of the track to help us understand how it worked in the wet. Fisichella liked it despite the heavier steering, remarking that front-end grip was improved, especially in the wet.
The FTT was put into production, but unfortunately the results of testing on further units could not match that of the first one, known as the ‘Golden Unit’.
To make the installation legal for the B199 due to the crash-test requirements, the unit had to be fitted inside the chassis in front of the pedals. The wheelbase was increased to accommodate this, which led to other complications. Not only was the assembly heavy, the driveshafts disrupted the air coming off the front wing. This made the airflow to the sidepods and floor unstable, so the car became unpredictable.
The regulations then were not as strict as today, but there were objections from other teams when we started to use it on the B199 as they considered the system to be a braking aid out of the driver’s control – the same logic used to scrutinise DAS last year. The FIA deemed FTT was legal, but it was only raced once – without success – before being regrettably shelved. It was hugely disappointing as we thought it would be worth at least 0.3 seconds per lap, depending on the circuit, and could maybe bring back the winning ways of 1994-95.