The new agreement to ban in-season testing this year could be modified before it takes effect next month.

GrandPrix.com, headed by the British reporter Joe Saward, claims that the looming ban was discussed by team management at the recent Portimao test.

The in-season ban, designed to cut costs and staff numbers, has been controversial among some teams, given the simultaneous introduction in 2009 of KERS technology, which has proved troublesome in the development phase.

It is therefore proposed that three official tests be excluded from the 2009 ban, which is currently scheduled to take effect shortly before the Australian Grand Prix through to November's season ending race in Abu Dhabi.


"It's not in everybody's interest to see only five or six cars finish races, so we're trying to get an agreement on a change of the rules for 2009," a top team member is quoted as saying.

Modifying the ban, agreed in collaboration between the teams' FOTA alliance and the governing FIA, would require an unanimous vote.

Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International

 

I would like for there to be more testing. More testing means more innovation which translates to more exciting races.

 

I agree...it would be nice to have more competitive teams.

 

$$$$$

 

True testing is costly but it's the only true way to develop a car as most of you know the F1 cars that start at Melbourne are far more developed then the cars that start at Brazil. Plus with all the new regs I think the test ban couldn't of come at worse time.

 

Yes, testing is expensive, but so was KERS. Which do you think the teams would rather spend their money on? Developing an electric motor that adds weight and hasn't yet been proven to improve performance or even be safe? Or skipping all that nonsense and testing the car to make sure it is the absolute best it can be throughout the season?

 

Testing and development go together hand in hand but testing should be priority #1. I like how F1 is the innovator for road cars

 

Exactly. Without the innovations made in F1 we wouldn't have direct fuel injection, turbochargers, sequential gearboxes, or active aerodynamics in road cars. Not to mention some of the safety structure design elements that have trickled down to consumer cars to make them stronger and safer in crashes.