Testing: BAR Honda fall into line

[Kicking-back]

From Atlas F1 News:

Honda-powered BAR are happy to limit testing to 30 days this season and still hope Ferrari will fall into line with the rest of Formula One, according to team boss Nick Fry.

Ending speculation that his team were set to scrap a commitment to the voluntary move after the World Champions made clear they would not sign up, Fry said Ferrari's rivals remained united.

[Glen]

This is a strangely worded story - where has the 30 days come from? As far as I understand it that is just BAR's proposal for a compromise. The original agreement was 24 days.

This all just hot air though - if any team seems to have a chance against Ferrari all these comittments will be thrown out. Same will apply if any other team breaks the agreement or gets a big lead in the best-of-the-rest category. The team bosses love to say all this stuff, but it is just posturing and will not survive the acid test of the F1 season in full flight!

[Adam43]

Can you get one of your drivers within 70% of Michael Schumacher if you don't do 70% of the testing

[Glen]

Sine you can't get within 70% with the same amount of testing, no. You could pretty much reverse the testing, and have Ferrari do 70%, and they still wouldn't get level. And they know it, so that's why I don't see why they are bothering wth the pretence.

BAR/Honda haven't fallen in line - they have created new (30 day) line, which they are unlikely to stick to anyway!

[Kicking-back]

No - the second meeting of the teams (at Heathrow, with Interlagos being the first) came up with the 30 day figure.

[Gt_R]

pardon me for being cynical...but what happened to the brave new 10 day proposed testing?

The fact that it being raised to 30 effectively meant that the Minardi and Jordans will still strugglet in 10days worth of testings, while the big teams effectively run as much testing as Ferrari because 30 days is about the most number of days testing teams could sensibly fit into the new schedule.

On paper..the teams may have "compromised", but in reality, the original proposal has already collapsed.

[maximus]

I don't think the teams have a choice however sadly, and I support BAR. If Ferrari aren't going to be sportsmanlike, then the only way the other teams can compete with them is to do the same unfortunatly.

[Dixie Flatline]

That begs the question of why Ferrari has to be sportsmanlike. They've assembled probably the best technical department Formula One has ever seen, coupled it with a once-in-a-generation driver and enjoyed the benefits. It's up to the other teams to catch up.

[Glen]

How can you consider it sportsmanlike to allot Bridgestone a tiny fraction of the tyre testing time that Michelin would enjoy? How is that fair?

[GTRMagic]

Would Minardi be allowed to test for 30 days too... maybe a super secret el swisho hybrid car... sometimes painted red, but looks equally as interesting in a rich blue hue... a quick coat of Dulux and it could look like a Minardi... they could even test at Fiorano...