Stefano Domenicali blames lack of testing for lack of bright new talent – Formula 1 news
Stefano Domenicali has blamed the lack of private testing in Formula 1 for not able to blood bright and talented drivers into the sport.
He said that these regulations banning testing outside the approved testing regulated by FIA is damaging the sport. He explained that the teams use the pre-season testing as a means of working on the development of the cars.
FIA has clamped down on independent testing because it wants to cut down on exorbitant costs. In 2012 teams were only allowed three pre-season tests and a mid season test. Young drivers are not used in those tests as teams look to develop and to give their
permanent drivers a better understanding of their cars.
For 2013 FIA has now decided to scrap the mid season test done in Mugello in the current year. This further means that the teams will now have even more time to test the cars. The only avenue that young drivers now have is to use the young drivers test but
that too has been a mess as teams have divided their young drivers test running between two dates and two different venues. One was at Silverstone and the other at Abu Dhabi later in the year.
Ferrari feel forsaken as they have the means and enough resources to use their private venues for track testing.
Domenicali said that while cost cutting is essential but cutting down on testing has its bad side which is that it has become very difficult for teams to uncover young talent.
“I don’t want to speak badly about the drivers (of today),” he is quoted by Russia’s f1news.ru, “but in my view it is clear that in recent years we have not seen many bright new stars. If we do not increase the level of testing, the problem will just get
worse and worse. Testing is not just for technical innovations, but also to give young drivers the chance to learn something and make themselves known.”
“Without testing, Formula One puts itself at risk,” he said. “In the current situation, we are not able to find the new stars because you would be having to put young drivers immediately in the races.”
Tags: