MAY 8, 2011

Todt to reintroduce F1 testing

FIA president Jean Todt is to push for the reintroduction of limited F1 testing as soon as possible.

BY TONY DODGINS

FIA president Jean Todt is to push for the reintroduction of limited F1 testing as soon as possible. He believes that three two-day sessions during the season is a good compromise.

Talking to the F1 media at Istanbul Park about the strong job Pirelli has done in F1 under the constraints of no in-season testing, Todt said: "I think it's a stupid decision to have no testing during the season with things like how to optimise KERS and the DRS rear wing. I think in the past it was crazy to have unlimited testing during the year because when it's unlimited you cannot really prioritise the way you work. But, going from unlimited testing to completely banned testing, I think, was not the right measure. It doesn't allow young drivers to test and gain experience and I will make sure that this changes for the future."

Todt, however, rejected any notion of a return to the days of big, separately staffed test teams in F1. "Free testing won't come back," he said, "But when I went to McLaren and saw their beautiful simulation facilities, then saw Ferrari's simulation facilities which weren't implemented when I was there, I saw a lot of things that used to be done on the circuit now done in the factory. It's not really a cost saving for the big teams so we will reintroduce a few days of free testing during the season as soon as possible, but by respecting the rules.

"We will present it at the F1 Commission meeting on Thursday in Valencia in June. If we get agreement we will implement it in 2012 and, if not, we can implement it in 2013 without any agreement."