Ferrari has asked rival teams for permission to have Michael Schumacher test this year's car during the testing ban ahead of the European Grand Prix.

The German driver will replace Felipe Massa at the Maranello-based squad in Valencia, but Schumacher had not driven a Formula 1 car since last year.

The seven-time champion has already began his preparations for the race, having taken to the Mugello circuit today in a two-year-old F2007 car.

But Ferrari has written to the FIA and to its rival teams asking to allow Schumacher to test for a day with this year's F60 car in order to arrive better prepared for the Valencia race.

The Williams team has opposed Ferrari's request to allow Michael Schumacher to test ahead of his return to Formula 1 at the European Grand Prix, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

Ferrari had asked all current teams, as well as the FIA, to allow Schumacher to have a one-day test with this year's F60 car to familiarise himself with the machine.

Schumacher drove a two-year-old F2007 fitted with GP2 tyres at the Mugello circuit last week, the German having not driven F1 machinery since last year.

The seven-time champion, replacing the injured Felipe Massa in the Valencia race later this month, retired from F1 competition at the end of 2006.

Williams said it is opposing Ferrari's request because it clearly contravenes the regulations, which state testing is not allowed during the season.

"While we welcome Michael Schumacher back to Formula 1, the fact is that any form of in-season circuit testing is strictly prohibited; a regulation clearly laid out by the FIA and adhered to by all of the teams," said team boss Frank Williams.

"It was for this reason that Alguersuari, who drove an F1 car for the very first time in Hungary, did not have the opportunity to familiarise himself with the Toro Rosso before he made his race debut.

"Williams sees no distinction between Alguersuari's situation and Schumacher's and feels that any deviation from the rule would create a precedent for the future.

"In a similar situation, Williams would unhesitatingly use its current test driver. For the sake of consistency and fairness, therefore, we oppose Ferrari's proposal to test ahead of the European Grand Prix."

Ferrari needed the unanimous approval of all teams to get Schumacher to test, which means the German will not be able to try the F60 before the Valencia event.

Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso have joined Williams in opposing Ferrari's request to allow Michael Schumacher to test a 2009-specification ahead of his return to Formula 1 at Valencia later in the month.

The Red Bull teams are unwilling to cede to the request after Dietrich Mateschitz claimed that a similar one by Toro Rosso to give 19-year-old rookie Jaime Alguersuari some track time prior to his F1 debut in Hungary was refused.

"We asked for a test permission for Alguersuari before the Hungarian GP and it was turned down," said Mateschitz. "So why should we approve an exemption for a seven-time-champion after this?

"We are happy that Jaime did such an excellent job on his debut."

Red Bull's motorsport coordinator Helmut Marko told the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper that he believed Michael Schumacher would have little trouble adapting to contemporary Formula 1 machinery and therefore did not need to test.

"Schumacher is experienced enough to be fairly competitive in the new car very soon," said Marko.

"To let him do an extra test is not in the spirit of the regulations. If he indeed did his run last week on GP2 rubber it will make a huge difference".

"We have the same opinion as stated in the rules, therefore we cannot agree with Michael getting a test exemption", added Marko. "And we are not the only ones to have this opinion."

Ferrari have hit back at the teams who blocked Michael Schumacher from testing this season's car before his F1 return.

He is set to replace the injured Felipe Massa, but Formula 1 rules prevent on-circuit testing during the season.

In an apparent swipe at Williams, who opposed the move, a Ferrari statement read: "Guess who opposed the test?

"A team that hasn't won anything for years and yet didn't pass over the opportunity to demonstrate once more a lack of spirit of fair play."

Williams, who have not won the world championship since 1997, were backed up by Red Bull and Toro Rosso, who are also opposed to Schumacher getting behind the wheel of Massa's F60 car.

All three teams argue that seven-time world champion Schumacher, 40, should be treated no differently to Spanish teenager Jaime Alguersuari, who replaced the sacked Sebastien Bourdais at Toro Rosso last month but was unable to track test his car before his F1 debut in Hungary.

"Just for the record, the Scuderia Ferrari had given its approval to let Alguersuari test, but it seems even in this instance someone decided to stick to the precise wording of the regulations," added Ferrari's statement.

Massa fractured his skull during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix after he was struck on the helmet by a spring from Rubens Barrichello's Brawn GP car.

Schumacher is due to replace the Brazilian at the European Grand Prix in Valencia on 23 August, but has only had a chance to drive Ferrari's 2007 car, at the team's Mugello test track last Friday.

McLaren, Renault, Toyota, BMW Sauber and Brawn GP were all prepared to let Schumacher spend one day behind the wheel of the F60.