ROME - Italian Formula One motor racing driver Jarno Trulli has accused Ferrari and other teams of using unlawful traction controls last season.
The Jordan-Honda driver also says the reputation of Ferrari's world champion, Michael Schumacher, as the world's best driver is unwarranted.
Trulli is quoted by the Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport as saying the performance of the cars last season clearly showed the use of traction controls. He added that he did not want to accuse anyone in particular.
In a discussion with youngsters several weeks ago at the Bologna motor show, Trulli had talked of Ferrari in connection with illegal technology in F1 racing.
Trulli was quoted as saying that although he had been talking of Ferrari, he could have mentioned any other team.
The use of traction control could even be seen on television during one race. These pictures had since disappeared, he said.
Trulli was also dismissive of Germany's three-time world champion Schumacher, who won the first world championship for Ferrari in 21 years last season and has had the reputation for many years of being the fastest man on the grand prix scene.
"Give me a Ferrari and I would show you that Schumacher is not the best pilot," he said.
There could be no absolute best driver, "always only the comparison between two team colleagues," he said.
The championships of the last few seasons backed up his argument.
"If Schumacher is the best of them all, why did he lose in the last few years against Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and twice against Mika Hakkinen? He has been beaten by good drivers, but none of them were described as the best. Where was Michael there?"
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