Fernando Alonso has hit out at the lack of testing days ahead of his 2010 Ferrari debut. With just 16 days of testing for each team that will be divided between the two drivers of any given team. Each driver can expect 8 days of testing and this is a far cry from the number of testing days the drivers enjoyed prior to the new cost cutting regulations uptil 2009
Alonso unimpressed by the new rules but accepts them
While the benefits of cost cutting is taken seriously it does expose another side to the story with only young drivers allowed to gain experience by having had tests in December 2009. The race drivers whilst having raced just last seaon still need time to develop the new car and sort out issues ahead of the season’s start. A formula 1 car is not expected to be refined right out of the box.
“I think the test ban is not an easy thing to solve,” admits Fernando
“For sure the seven or eight days before the championship are not enough for any driver. It doesn’t matter if you are new to a team or if you are at the same team as last year.
“I think there is no other sport in the world where you test for seven days before the championship. I cannot imagine a tennis player testing seven times before Roland Garros, or a football player training seven days before a world cup, so this is something strange in our sport.
“If it’s the best for the future and for saving costs we are happy, because it’s what they think it’s best.”
Alonso’s is naturally even more concerned as unlike his new team mate the Brazilian star Felipe Massa who has been around with Ferrari as their race driver from 2006, he is coming in as the new kid on the block with a lot of adaptive work left to do.
It will be an interesting match up between the two drivers and between the teams as testing gets underway in February at Jerez
Loading ...