AUGUST 4, 2000

"Banning testing wouldn't work" -- Head

BMW-WILLIAMS technical director Patrick Head has insisted that the banning of private testing in Formula One is not viable because it would cause chaos at race weekends.

Head claimed the idea of banning teams from testing would result in the opening day of a race weekend becoming a test-day for the teams.

And he claims that every team on the grid would have to have their test team of mechanics on hand, provoking mass chaos in the pit-lane.

"At the moment there are several ideas up in the air, and some of them are certainly worth discussion," said Head. "Personally, as an engineer, I'm never bored on Friday, but I admit that the public can find it pretty dull.

"To do a programme of six hours of testing, however, we would have to reinforce our team personnel at the circuit.

"If we brought along our test team, it would need space at the circuits which they can't offer us in their present configuration."