Should F1 adopt MotoGP style testing?

[Peat]

In light of the Badoer fiasco, lots of talk has been made about bring back in season testing.

Seeing as it was banned on financial grounds, what say you Mr.Mosely that you look over at your buddies Dorna and see what they do.

A 1 or 2 day test directly after a GP at selected circuits? All the gear will be there, all the people, why not chuck them a few tyres and let them try out new parts and let Test Drivers have something to do again?

What do ya say?

[Marbot]

It was supposed to be that Friday was going to be an 'official test day',rather than just the two 'hour-and-a-half' slots that it has now.But no one really wants to see F1 cars honed to perfection just before a race. Maybe if some of that time had to be with drivers other than the 'usual' drivers then it wouldn't be so bad and the race weekend schedule would remain close to what it is now.

However,how one of the 'usual' drivers would take to having his car 'fiddled about with' or even written off by a 'Rookie' remains to be seen.

Maybe a 'Monday test' would be less hassle?

[duke_toaster]

I agree that a Monday test would be a logical idea - but it ought to be a rookie test. Obviously they could run bog standard testing, but possibly have a qualifying simulation or something.

[strider]

I'm surprised this thread hasn't taken off more strongly.

To me, the idea makes perfect sense. All the teams are there and the travelling costs are the same. No-one can get drunk on the Sunday night, but everything's in place for a useful test on the Monday.

The only problem would arise if there were back-to-back weekends, but there is no need to do it at every GP.

[Utopian]

I heard something about teams saying the probllem with testing after a GP is that the tracks become so rubbered in that they don't get representative running.

[kartracer41]

They need to bring testing back in one way or another.

[mattt]

There must be some way of doing it for example washing the track after the racing so the rubber is washed off or at least partly.

[jab]

*cough*

Originally Posted by jab

But I think it would have to be compulsory for all teams and operated with a strict system - e.g. have the 1st and 3rd drivers driving in FP1 and then the 2nd and 3rd drivers driving in FP2. That would prevent costs getting too high

[Marbot]

As long as we don't get the week long testing at Monza just before the Monza GP type stuff,then we certainly ought to have some sort of testing somewhere.

That way Ross Brawn may finally understand that the reason that they have tyre issues could be something as simple as someone forgetting to switch the tyre warmers on.

[Mekola]

What about a Thursday test session before any GP weekend?

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Mekola

What about a Thursday test session before any GP weekend?

There isn't a lot going on with Fridays.Why not stick another couple of hours in there?

Some will obviously point to the extra costs of fuel,parts,engine life,travel,accommodation,time etc for any kind of extra testing.

[fourWheelDrift]

Trouble with putting the test on a Thursday is it changes the GP weekend because:

1. Putting the test before the GP means the teams would use it as race preperation not a general test.

2. Potential big issue with accident damage which means that either teams will have to be allowed to bring a spare car or they will be very cautious about who they trust to drive it, and for how long.

3. Suddenly there is extra track time at the circuit to prepare for the GP which will detract from the current system where the teams are put under pressure with limited FP time (some may view this as a positive, personally I like to see the effects of the teams working under time pressure).

None of these are a problem if the test is after the GP, the teams could be allowed non-race engines for the test, something that would make a bit of a nonsense of the system if it was allowed before the GP as teams would simply move their Friday agenda to Thursday and save the engine allocation.

[Ingsy]

Sorry people, I beat you all too it with this idea:

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...38#post2491638

[bravo]

Monday or Tuesday testing at certain circuits would be a good idea. Accomodation for a team shouldn't cost that much in reality, and perhaps it could be limited to a few tracks per year.

As for the rubbering in - surely with everyone doing 100s of laps at Jerez it must get rubbered in more than a GP circuit over the course of the winter testing window?

[duke_toaster]

Possibly - they could sprinkler the track or something, or give it a tactical hosedown.

It depends how many tests you want. One option could be to run a Tuesday test at Ricardo Tormo Valencia after the Valencia race and a similar one at Paul Ricard on the Tuesday after Monaco. Ideally the vast majority of testing would be ran collectively, simply to cut costs. Track hire isn't cheap.

Driver replacements are a completely different situation entirely, there needs to be a specific rule for them.

[Bleu]

I think testing on Monday would be good idea but I think the testing ban has partly caused this year to have major turnarounds.

But for replacement drivers I think some rule should be done. For example two days of running (max 300 km/day) in Paul Ricard with team choosing the layout. However no new parts may be tested and data output would be forbidden apart from basic stuff that driver does.

[duke_toaster]

I agree on the replacement test with a few caveats.

Make the venue free on two conditions. Not necessarily Paul Ricard, but somewhere nearby so that the cars wouldn't go to Europe between Japan and Singapore. In that case Fuji would be more sensible. But keep venues yet to be raced that year banned.

As far as the telemetry is concerned, I have a modest proposal. There should be a standard data aquistion and telemetry package using largely off the shelf hardware from MOTEC or Pi Research or whoever provides the best value for money package. Then make all the information provided by that system (set reasonable amounts here) available, live, to all teams. This would apply to all tests, straightline aero tests and whatnot.

Also, it could be used in the TV pictures as well, as F1 Productions probably only get what we see when the graphic comes up. Tyre temperature data, brake temperature, suspension displacement ... all information that FOM TV and broadcasters could use for the fans. Surely that's a noble goal?

However ... was it the new rules or the lack of testing that lead to such a interesting season? I agree testing should be heavily limited, that's why anything I outline involves a requirement for it to be for junior and substitute drivers.

[jab]

Looks like the solution may be to give the teams an extra testing day mid-season, although if they abuse this, they lose a winter testing day for the following season

[Marbot]

Seems fair enough.

[Nicholosophy]

I don't see a need to ban testing. If they have limited finances, then they can only spend so much on testing anyway. If they want to do mad amounts of testing they'll be unable to afford a car or engine!

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by NickoGP

I don't see a need to ban testing. If they have limited finances, then they can only spend so much on testing anyway. If they want to do mad amounts of testing they'll be unable to afford a car or engine!

With the £40m budget cap,testing would have taken up a definite amount of that figure.But now we have a situation where the teams have been left to reduce budgets by themselves,and so,there being no definite figure,unlimited testing would just be open to those that can afford it.

[duke_toaster]

I think this would be a good step, then again I think that testing should be collectively organized by the FIA. With the exception of Silverstone, venues that host F1 races would be banned from hosting tests. In the case of Barcelona, they would test on the motorbike layout so that the times are completely useless. Also, the FIA would then be able to officially time the cars, and if there was spec telemetry/dash stuff they would be able to make all of that public too.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

With the exception of Silverstone, venues that host F1 races would be banned from hosting tests.

Why the exception? And will it be an exception?

[duke_toaster]

Silverstone is traditionally tested heavily, the fact that it is tested heavily has not diminished the quality of its racing and there is no realistic alternative configuration that can be used in the same way as Barcelona (the International version isn't really long enough).

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

Silverstone is traditionally tested heavily,

Times have changed.

Silverstone is apparently being modded for MotoGP,so perhaps an alternative there?

But you can't just have Silverstone as an exception just because it's "traditionally heavily tested".