Return of the ban on in-season testing in F1 from 2015?
The teams and the FIA are working together to reduce the costs of a Formula 1 season. The latest focus: private testing which could be reduced as early as next year, even though they were reintroduced this year in F1.
According to Autosport, Formula 1 teams are considering a new ban on in-season testing as part of cost reduction efforts. This year, the teams and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) have decided to hold four test sessions after the Bahrain, Spain, Great Britain, and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
But while some teams welcome the contribution of these tests, many are not convinced due to the costs incurred and the stress it adds to team members. A ban on these tests could be implemented for 2015, along with a revamp of pre-season testing, which could be reduced to just two sessions in Spain.
However, while this could reduce the teams’ expenses, Eric Boullier believes that the governing bodies must be cautious before changing the regulations again, as it could have the opposite effect: “We must be careful. The more we change the rules, the more we may potentially have to spend money to adjust our business to the new rules. We know that trying to maintain stable regulations over several years is the best way to save money.”
« At the same time, there are numerous discussions on the format of the weekends, the price of the engines, the restrictions on the wind tunnel, where we could potentially save more money. This is what we are trying to agree on for the future, but let’s not make any rash decisions, because we might end up producing the opposite of what we wish to achieve, » added the sporting director of the McLaren team.
As a reminder, Jean Todt recently rejected proposals made by leading teams regarding possible cost-cutting measures.
