OCTOBER 4, 2003

The new F1 timetable

The Formula 1 Commission met yesterday and voted through the recommendations of the Formula 1 teams to alter the situation with regard to testing. Henceforth there will be no extra testing session on Fridays but as a result of this concession, the big teams have agreed to accept a restriction of 42 car/days of testing (i.e. 14 days with three cars or 21 days with two). There are also reports that this limit may be as high as 48 days.

Either way this is not going to cut much in the way of costs but it is at least a further step in the process of restricting testing. Friday's will henceforth consist of two free sessions and the qualifying process will only begin on Saturday with the plan being to have two 45 sessions in the morning and then two back-to-back qualifying sessions between 14.00 and 15.30.

Further details will become available when the FIA World Council confirms the changes on October 15.