Mosley accuses traction cheats.

FIA president Max Mosley is convinced at least one team was using traction control last year - despite it being clearly against the rules.

Speaking at a special press conference at Imola yesterday [Friday], Mosley intimated that the governing body had been aware that the system was being employed, but claims that it did not have enough proof to confront the team in question. Sweeping rule changes introduced at the Brazilian GP meeting two weeks ago - to come into force from Silverstone - are now though likely to prevent such 'aids' from being used this season.

''It had come to our notice that something was going on last season that we believe was totally unacceptable,'' Mosley revealed, ''We've got all the details that demonstrated something had slipped through the net. We actually became aware of it over the winter, but don't have 100 per cent proof, although we are sure enough to know that this is something we have got to put a stop to.

''Our job now is to look at each team and say that we can guarantee to you that no other team is cheating - and know that we are right when we say that. Our fundamental task is to make sure that racing is fair.''

The president said that he was not prepared to name the team in question, but further comments suggested it was one of the bigger outfits in the sport.

''We have got to stop assuming that major companies would not be involved in actions that are against the rules,'' he said, ''This has produced a slightly different attitude, and we are not prepared to take anything on trust any more. We will have a word with [the team involved], although we do not believe that [its actions] materially affected the course of the championship.''