Formula 1 Testing Ban Divides Teams
Of all the different rules changes which have been enacted in Formula 1 in recent years, perhaps none has been as controversial as the ban on in-season testing that started in 2009. The move was done to help to control costs as the sport dealt with the reality of economics in a global recession. The testing ban has become a hot-button issue in the sport, with your opinion on it generally reflecting whether you side with the sport’s elite teams or the smaller teams who are struggling for survival.
Ahead of the German Grand Prix, Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso summed up the opinion of those involved with the big teams in the sport: that the in-season testing ban had restricted innovation within the sport and made it difficult for teams to be creative and make changes once the season started.
“The goal is always to win but it's not so easy,” Alonso said. “You cannot invent new things without testing. There is little room for creativity - our technicians have their hands tied.”
However, not everyone shares Alonso’s assessment of the situation. A recent report by Motorsport.com suggested that half of the teams on the Formula 1 circuit were opposed to relaxing the ban on testing during the season and were happy with things the way they are. Not surprisingly, none of the six teams to publicly support the ban are from the “Big Three” teams of McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari.
A major reason for instituting the in-season testing ban was to make it more difficult for the teams with significant resources to continue to improve their cars during the season and further the gap between them and the teams with limited resources. Sauber team boss Peter Sauber summed up the feelings of most of the smaller teams when he said that reinstituting in-season testing would require teams to run a separate team dedicated just to testing, which would create major new expenses.
The in-season testing ban is certainly one reason why the new teams Lotus Racing, HRT and Virgin Racing have failed to gain a point through the first 10 races of the season. All three teams have had to scramble to play catch-up with the other nine established teams on the grid. However, all three teams are on record as supporting the ban on testing.
It’s ironic that Fernando Alonso has been the driver most recently speaking up against the in-season testing ban. Earlier this season, Ferrari’s rivals were up in arms over the fact that the team had brought the car out onto the test track for an extended “promotional” session to film advertisements. The team said that the actions were within the rules although other teams groused that Ferrari appeared to be bending the rules in order to sneak in some additional time on the track during the season.
So how much of an impact has the testing ban had on Formula 1? Even with the testing ban, it’s still the case that money rules all within the sport. The three teams with far more resources and money to spend on testing are the three teams who are dominating the standings this season. While banning in-season testing might have reduced the gap between the haves and the have-nots, the gap still exists.
What banning in-season testing has done is made the off-season even more important. Teams which have been able to develop innovative new concepts have been able to sustain their momentum throughout the season. For example, the F-duct system introduced by McLaren has helped propel the team to the top of the Constructors’ Championship while rivals Ferrari and Red Bull have struggled to adapt their own F-duct system during the season.
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