How to squeeze more testing into race WEs?

[WhiteBlue]

PdlR has come out with criticism on Autosport about the lack of milage for the test and reserve drivers. While I applaud the ban on testing at venues outside the race weekends I agree with him that this is creating an unnecessary problem for young drivers and reserve drivers.

It is surely ridiculous to have the race fans sitting idle for most of Friday, Saturday and Sunday while this problem wrecks the carreer of potential GP stars and creates a safety problem with the reserve drivers. Why do we need to have a bunch of Porsches tool around a GP track when there could be F1 machinery at display?

I would look at taking a third car to races which is completely reserved to development and prohibited for the use of race drivers. Considering what kind of gear they have taken around the world in the past this is surely not too expensive!

They should at least have a two hour session for test and reserve drivers each day. There is no F1 machinery on display on Sunday prior to the race since they scrapped the warm up.

[woohoo]

I must say I agree!

The Porsche supercup is out of place in a race weekend.
The Formula BMW / Renault and the GP2 can stay. (Otherwise who would come to their races ) But the Porsche's are boring.

i cant imagine the costs would be much bigger (as as you say everything is in place)

The only problem is, that the testing would only be say, half a day, and with probably all of the teams running, and not like it is now, with roughly half the teams on one track, and the other half on a another track, It would get pretty crowded pretty quick.

Then again, why not have testing/practice on Thursday and Friday, qualifying on Saturday and race on Sunday ?

[joseff]

i cant imagine the costs would be much bigger (as as you say everything is in place)

With pay drivers and sponsorship deals, the extra running may even generate money. Wasn't this the case several years ago?

[nae]

+1 WhiteBlue

they are there anyway
and its right in front of the rest of the paddock
for the young up and coming drivers

[kilcoo316]

How about not have test or reserve drivers?

Its a big codology, a waste of time and waste of money. The two main drivers are getting paid millions per year - the least they could do is test the cars!



As for race weekend testing - why do they not have an open test session on the Monday after each race weekend?

MotoGP do it and it works pretty well.

[flattyre]

Maybe they could make friday practice 1 exclusively for test drivers, unless there's a race driver who's never driven on the track before. Then they would be permitted so many laps, say 10, to learn it.

[axle]

I think Friday should be a TEST day with TEST drivers.

Open day long session 3 engines for the testers for the year. 3 sets of tyres per Friday.

Then the "elite" drivers get a test session on Saturday morning to set up the cars ready for qualifying Saturday afternoon.

Events like Moto GP should have 3 classes of single seaters racing...F3 class, F2 and F1.

[flynfrog]

or they could just remove the test ban

allow practice cars for Friday

practice engines don't count against race engines.

three cars on Friday

[bidong]

I guess Williams have done a good deal with Max Mosley. I mean yes there is a testing restriction and ban. But what about Formula 2? I'm not sure if they can actually slow down the R&D behind a brand new formula. Who's supplying F2 again?? oooh smart Williams. I won't be surprised if mid-season F2 would use the privately-designed KERS of the Williams and with 22-24 cars running on the grid with all the same KERS module. The mileage they would have would be huge...

Suspension Geometries... Rear Wing designs. Aerodynamic projects... all will come out in F2 but Williams will use them in F1. I think.... my opinion...

I read from somewhere that Ferrari was testing their KERS with Peugeot Le Mans... and McLaren tying up with a lot of Junior Formulae to test one or two parts... i think that's the way they're doing it now.

[axle]

I guess Williams have done a good deal with Max Mosley. I mean yes there is a testing restriction and ban. But what about Formula 2? I'm not sure if they can actually slow down the R&D behind a brand new formula. Who's supplying F2 again?? oooh smart Williams. I won't be surprised if mid-season F2 would use the privately-designed KERS of the Williams and with 22-24 cars running on the grid with all the same KERS module. The mileage they would have would be huge...

Suspension Geometries... Rear Wing designs. Aerodynamic projects... all will come out in F2 but Williams will use them in F1. I think.... my opinion...

I read from somewhere that Ferrari was testing their KERS with Peugeot Le Mans... and McLaren tying up with a lot of Junior Formulae to test one or two parts... i think that's the way they're doing it now.

You could say the same about the Ferrari A1GP car...but then you can't as they are fundementally different engineering concepts to F1.

[freedom_honda]

Either:

1. Have three practice sessions on Friday. two in the morning (7 - 9:30, 11 - 12:30) and one in the afternoon (2:30 - 4). One of those sessions must be done by reserve driver. and engines can be changed freely on Fridays.

2. have a practice session on Thursday. Must be driven by reserve driver on thursday. free to change engine.

[lkocev]

I think that any friday mileage should not count to race and qualifying engine mileage, like last year. And I think that Thursdays could possibly be an all-day test session for the F1 teams, perhaps running only 1 car, and only reserve drivers. It would be interesting if fridays were all day test sessions, running both cars and both race drivers. I guess that it probably would add a bit to the cost of running these type of practice sessions, but really, on fridays there is alot of wasted time with support series' and a whole heap of other crap, at least if you make it worthwile for the teams to practice and do long runs, then they will, and F1 enthusiasts would love that. I read that teams generally have specific test team, and race team, maybe having proper test sessions at the race weekends could encourage teams to scrap the idea of 2 seperate and specific teams... any ideas???

[WhiteBlue]

Friday as a test day would be a good idea. But the rules say that race drivers have to use their allocated 8 engines. So you will need a third car for the test drivers for practical reasons. The race cars will not be risked for test drivers.

[axle]

Do they still bring a T car incase of a mega smash in practice?

[kilcoo316]

Do they still bring a T car incase of a mega smash in practice?

Yeap - just the tub - its not built uo - which IMO is stupid.

Should be a full T-car, no 4th tub and then maybe you can reason with a 3rd driver for fridays (with a different engine).


But right now, I see no reason for 3rd drivers at all.