NOVEMBER 3, 2006

Job losses as a result of the testing deal?

The 11 Formula 1 teams recently agreed on a 30,000km per team testing limit for 2007. This is around half the testing that some of the teams have done in the past and with the FIA turning Fridays at each Grand Prix into a testing session, it is logical that some of the teams will reduce their manpower as there will be only 13 non-Friday tests in the calendar year and several of these will be before or after the racing season. This means that there is no economic logic in keeping an independent test team in operation as the race team will be able to do the work. We hear that several teams are planning to lay-off staff and that others are reassigning people to new roles.