Sauber regrets not taking up Friday testing

[paulzinho]

From Autosport.com

Sauber-Petronas F1 team principal Peter Sauber regrets that he did not join rivals who signed up to the 'Heathrow Agreement', allowing them to test for two hours on the Friday of each GP weekend, reports Motorsport Aktuell. "Looking back, I have to admit that it would have been the better way," said Sauber. "We're currently investigating if it's worth changing our testing strategy for 2004."




Interesting to see that, how many teams do you think will sign up for next year then?

[corkholio]

Sauber needed to design a car that was actually fast. Friday testing would have just told them their car was slow on Friday morning instead of Friday afternoon.

[Matthopps]

I don't see why the big 3 teams don't sign up, they have the resources to run 4+ cars on friday as well as maximise their other test sessions away from race weekends. After all, it must be pretty hard to simulate conditions say for Canada when you are in France, surely it would be much easier to find that elusive set up for the Canadian Grand Prix if you are actually IN Canada at the time (of searching)?

[paulzinho]

Aren't they only allowed to run 3 cars on the Friday?

[Matthopps]

Even so, it would be interesting to see what would happen should Mclaren sign up (for example) and the other 2 big teams don't...

[cos]

Originally posted by paulzinho
Aren't they only allowed to run 3 cars on the Friday?

Friday morning is a 'free test' - the teams can do whatever they want. Even run illegal cars I suppose.

[beau]

If Peter sauber signs up for it next year then sauber would be able to make a much more improved and much more fast car

[Adam43]

Originally posted by Matthopps
I don't see why the big 3 teams don't sign up, they have the resources to run 4+ cars on friday as well as maximise their other test sessions away from race weekends.

Yes, but with new bits coming in all the time...

A hour or so on Friday every fortnight will never equate to full weeks of testing at three different circuits simultaneously. See what Ferrari achieved between the French and British GP.

Originally posted by Matthopps
Even so, it would be interesting to see what would happen should Mclaren sign up (for example) and the other 2 big teams don't...

Yes, but I doubt it will happen. It would practically rule out introducing a new car (Ferrari), a very late new car (McLaren) or even huge revisions (Williams) in the middle of a year.

[Adam43]

Originally posted by beau
If Peter sauber signs up for it next year then sauber would be able to make a much more improved and much more fast car

Fact?

[jetsetter]

What it would do is allow the team to get their set ups right for qualifying Friday afternoon & also give the drivers valuable time on the circuit.

[Mr V]

Originally posted by jetsetter
What it would do is allow the team to get their set ups right for qualifying Friday afternoon & also give the drivers valuable time on the circuit.

Agreed on this. I wouldn't be surprised if every team, other than the top 3 don't sign up for it for next season.

[paulzinho]

Yep, especially after Renaults form this season. I think that it has helped them quite a bit in letting them mix it up there at the top, and the summer testing break is only going to help them further as they get to test at Germany and Hungary which the others won't be able to do!

[esorniloc]

Does anyone think its strange that of the 4 teams that run on Friday mornings, only Renault actually use 3 cars?

It can't really be a cost thing, cos they have 3 cars there?

[paulzinho]

Minardi are going to start using 3 cars soon, I'm a bit surprised that Jaguar don't, Jordan don't have a regular tester do they?

[Valve Bounce]

I think Renault have proven the benefits of Friday testing. In this climate of ever changing tyre compounds, Friday testing comes in handy at not only selecting te correct tyre but also in setting up the car for teh tyre selected. I would have thought that many more teams would have taken advantage of this, with the exception of Ferrari, Mclaren and Williams. These three are commited to mega testing sessions, but I am still unclear whether they also would benefit from Friday testing also.

[Spudgun]

I don't think the big 3 ever will. How can they test new parts in the alloted two hours on Friday morning? If a car gives up or gets beached in the gravel they're stuffed. It's a great risk. With the cut-throat competition at the top, they can't afford these things happening.

A two car, five day test would take up half the entire testing allocation. I really can't see the top teams going for it.

If the budget is there, then the normal testing would be the way to go.

I can see the argument about the extra set-up time, but they have some data from the year before as a starting point. Besides, if you use the time for set-up you lose the time for car development.

I really don't think Williams would have made the leaps and bounds on their car this year if they had been doing the Friday testing.

[Valve Bounce]

Yeah!! that's what I thought. Only Renault has proven me wrong on that count. I mean, Renault are flush with money, but have chosen to go that way. How good is off teh track testing these days? Sauber now have a rolling track wind tunnel.

[LindaC]

Originally posted by esorniloc
Does anyone think its strange that of the 4 teams that run on Friday mornings, only Renault actually use 3 cars?

It can't really be a cost thing, cos they have 3 cars there?

Renault actually have 4 cars for the test session, 3 for each of the drivers, plus the T-car.

[f1manoz]

I don't think it would have made much difference to the fact that the Sauber is an bloody awful car.

[Glen]

For a serious team like Renault (as opposed to a desperately trying to save money team like Jordan) Friday testing goes hand in hand with a massive investment in wind tunnel and other simulation work. They can still develop new ideas, just not in the literal, physical sense - and they have indeed continually developed their car and engine throughout the season, I would say at least to the same degree as McLaren have managed.

Sauber are very much on the back foot - they have got their new wind tunnel coming now, but they are a long way from having the depth in engineering that Renault have.

[jetsetter]

Originally posted by esorniloc
Does anyone think its strange that of the 4 teams that run on Friday mornings, only Renault actually use 3 cars?

It can't really be a cost thing, cos they have 3 cars there?

I think it is very strange that the other teams haven't used three cars on the Friday this year as the job McNish does on Friday mornings is in my view invaluable to Renault's weekend.

[Glen]

This coming Friday Renault will be evaluating new Michelin tyres - for Hungary! Another little edge over the opposition - no-one else can tyre test at all in the summer break. I wonder how much pressure Wiliams and McLaren put on Michelin to find out about these new tyres - the last thing Ron and Frank need right now is Renault doing even better and taking points away from their championship challenges.