ESP

[AlanD]

The first thing you are taught is never to hit the brakes on ice or snow if the car starts to slide, just try to steer out of it.

I had a moment in the snow where Ive locked up (I wont beat about the bush, I was going too fast for the conditions) and the ABS was going mental and I have been able to steer (I use that term loosely as there is only so much control you can have when skidding on snow / slush / ice) whilst slowing down and let the ABS take over and it was fine. Had I not slammed on the brakes and let the ABS do its thing Im sure it would have ended badly.

My ESP will be staying on and not coming off.

[p3asa]

I'm sure I read although there is a switch to turn it off it doesn't mean it is off completely and the car still has an element of ESP if it goes in to a skid.

[AlanD]

Correct, it never fully turns off.

It does however become very tolerant and you need be driving like a complete cvnt on the road or doing something very wrong on a track for it to really come into play.

This shows how tolerant it is on the track - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8sosmxSVfg  - As you can see the car snaps back after a time as the electrics try and save it.

[VWKev]

I 've often wondered what ESP does when there is no grip.

The first thing you are taught is never to hit the brakes on ice or snow if the car starts to slide, just try to steer out of it.
If the ESP detects a skid then the first thing it will try to do is start applying the brakes on different wheels to try to recover the slide.
Will this not make matters worse?

Maybe it's better switched off on ice and snow.

thats my take on it too.

[VWKev]

It's also to be turned off if you get stuck in snow and you have to roll backwards and forwards to get out.

[Snoopy]

Same here...never turn it off, although I must admit there are a handful of times it's cut the power (or TCS has maybe) coming out of corners hard on full throttle, where it's annoyed me by cutting in...but again, this is likely to be TSC not ESP and you can't turn one off without the other..

Thats TCS our leon does that it annoying at times (our leon does not have ESP)