Mclaren ECU's contain a "hidden" feature?

[Tommy_Fei]

It's being reported in other places, that the Mclaren designed/supplied ECU's contain a "hidden" feature, accessed by pressing 3 buttons in a certain sequence, that allows very fast starts to be made, possibly (and i use that word advisedly) beating the rule on launch control.

ps:Honda found it in the tests and Truli said something about it these days!

[Ciro Pabón]

Maybe is when you press Ctrl-Alt-Del...

Care to provide a link?

[tomislavp4]

If they found a way to cheat why not keep their mouth shut and use it untill the others find out about it

[nae]

well as Micro$oft are the other partner in the ecu its hardly surprising it has a hidden feature

blue screen of death (i.e. engine expiration) perhaps ?

[Tom Castellani]

Numerous times have teams used something to give them an unfair advantage until its inevitable banishment; Brabam's 'engine cooling'/ground effects, ride height lowering switches, McLaren's double brake pedal.

This wouldn't surprise me, but once it's out then everyone will be able to use it... That is if it isn't banned first.

[timbo]

I think they'd better not toy with things like that.
If that would come to the limelights all dogs would be on them. They already received too much bad publicity, if they found and proven guilty I bet they would be out of championship.

[axle]

Dear god... :^o

Let me guess, Triangle, square and R1??

1) This ECU has been developed by McLaren and MS but strictly to the FIA's guidelines.
2) All data logged goes back to the FIA, anyone daring to cheat EVEN if there was potential for it will face a penalty.
3) Looks like Ferrari won't care as they don't appear to need it!
4) Site sources/official comments.
5) Trulli's comments were about mechanical (diff) devices. And it's true development in this area will aide grip.

[DaveKillens]

I would request some valid confirmation on this "hidden" feature. Personally, I doubt it exists, and is nothing but rumor.
And what buttons are they? Each car has unique and distinct types of steering wheel buttons and such, and teams all wire their buttons and switches to their requirements.

[manchild]

A tip to Ferrari team:

Secret sequence is CUT + E + N

[leomax]

Reminds me of playstation cheats

Some links
http://www.racingworld.it/f1/notizia.ph ... na-mclaren
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64806

[ben_watkins]

Trulli was talking about the Ferrari -

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/65106

Jano Trulli

Looking at the behaviour of the Ferraris on the track is obviously depressing. They can brake wherever they want to but most of all they can accelerate wherever they want to, while I always have to be careful with getting on the power, which is not managed by traction control anymore.

[Kriss]

Banned out McLaren from Formula 1 in 2008 NOW!!!
Forbid start in races in this season

[Spencifer_Murphy]

Kriss welcome to the forum mate, but er - why ban Mclaren from the championship???

This supposed "hidden feature" looks to me like a load of BS, and based upon most of the comments on this topic it seems many others feel the same about it also.

Also I'd love to know how to access this system by pressing a certain sequence of buttons - seeing as there are 11 different steering wheels, each with their own buttons on the grid.

If Mclaren were looking at cheating by incorportaing a hidden start-line proceedure into the ECU, do you not think that they'd use a sequence of buttons found only on their steering wheel? or at least use ONE button unique to their steering wheel in the combination - this then would prevent the system from being found out - seems like common sence to me.

All in all I doubt it exists and has been made up (or exaggerated) by those looking for something to pin on Mclaren again after the whole 2007 debatacle.

[modbaraban]

This one is my favorite:

[Kriss]

Hello,