Domenicali: Without testing Formula One puts itself at risk
30 August, 2012
Stefano Domenicali believes lack of new talent in F1 is due to reduced testing
Aug.30 (GMM) Stefano Domenicali has blamed the lack of private testing in Formula One for the sport’s failure to produce bright new star drivers in recent times, and believes that the lack of testing – as mandated by the rules – is damaging the sport at the highest level.
With the sport moving to reduce its exorbitant costs, expensive track testing has become almost a thing of the past.
Now, the few pre-season tests are used exclusively for car development and the race drivers, and even the new mid-season test – held at Mugello this year – has been scrapped for 2013.
That leaves just the ‘young drivers’ test, but that concept has been a shambles in 2012, with the twelve teams splitting their running throughout the season between Silverstone, Magny Cours and Abu Dhabi.
So with Ferrari now essentially unable to use its vast resources or private venues including Fiorano for extensive track testing, team boss Domenicali insists a bad side-effect is that uncovering bright new talent is now harder.
“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.
“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, without the necessary experience behind them, and that is not good for anyone,” added Domenicali.
Subbed by AJN.
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Totally agree with mr. Domenicali. In my opinion free testing should be allowed in F1, because Formula 1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of motorsport with the best technical advancements. But how can it be all that, if teams can’t even test new parts for their cars? I think everyone would benefit more from testing than from the lack of it. And if the poor teams can’t handle it, well then they really shouldn’t be in F1 at all.
he is correct
@John
The figures come from the territories that use verifiable electronic data gathering to monitor TV viewing, not Diary Book or market research techniques.
you better watch Nascar! its a whole better
@Bec,
where do you get those figures? Which areas do the cover and can you quote them here please?
@John
Yes the most watched.
51.5% more global viewers than Germany ( the least watched so far)
41.3% more than Canada
20.1% more than Monaco
etc.
Pick three or four events during the race season, and open up either the Monday after, or the Thursday before, for testing– but with reserve drivers only.
Teams can do aero testing, and the young drivers get a chance to show what they can do.
Amen to that! Testing is a big gap in F1…I really enjoyed the times when drivers can sort the car & develope it into a winning one…not these computer guys who design a car & then the drivers must stick with that bucket of s…t for the year.
Old traditional circuits still give us the best races…Hell we’ve paid to watch F1 races for years in South Africa via DSTV…only to be able to see the races..my view is all these funny places that have races with empty stands is the downfall..empty stands means nothing to sponsors..
OK, this is a little nutty but just maybe…
I have had this idea bouncing around my head for a while. F1 has gone through a multitude of changes in recent years. One of the major changes has been the almost complete elimination of testing during the season. On paper this seems like a good idea and for the larger teams, with huge resources this is somewhat manageable. Sure they’d like to test, but they can get by with wind tunnels and simulators, not to mention the volumes of data they have available to them from previous seasons.
So where does this leave the newer teams that have been rolling chicanes this year? Ask a team principle from the teams at the back of the grid and they would probably say their 2 biggest problems are probably funding and testing. Smaller teams lacked the funds and facilities to develop their cars during the season. I think I may have a solution to both, that will benefit everyone and because of the way it is set-up, it manages itself.
Under my system, teams would be granted a certain number of in-season testing days each season. The number of days would be the same as their final place in the championship the pervious year. For example, in 2012 Red Bull would have been granted 1 in-season test day and HRT would have been given 12 testing days.
Now comes the twist. Teams would be allowed to sell their testing days to the highest bidder. Perhaps days would be auctioned publicly like a classic car, to prevent a team like STR from selling its days to Red Bull for a single dollar. The market would dictate the value of the days and the smaller teams would only benefit. If Ferrari decides that a day of testing is worth $7 million in September, then let them pay for it. The smaller team that sells it to them would benefit from the cash.
The argument has always been that testing is expensive and the smaller teams were being out-spent. This system would eliminate that. It would also give smaller teams the opportunity to test, which they desperately need, and if they needed to sell a few days to raise the funds, all the better.
Some details would need to be worked out of course, but I really think this would work. Everyone, especially the fans would benefit by a grid where the typical have-nots would have the means to address their 2 biggest barriers to progress and success, testing and money.
@Butterfly:
Nope, I didn’t. Why? Because I’d been too bored by all the previous races there. I decided not to watch races which have consitently produced boring races, so Bahrain is off the menu too.
However, this year has been spoilt by the duff tyres. A race winner from one race can be at the back of the field the next. Racers are wary of racing in case they damage their fragile tyres. That’s not F1.
@Bec – Valencia the most watched? That does surprise me, especially given that the orgainisers had to take away seating to ensure a sell out!
@John
Currently Valencia has the highest viewing figures so far this year.
1. Valencia
2. Hungary
3. Bahrain
4. Spain
5. UK
6. Monaco
7. China
8. Malaysia
9. Australia
10. Canada
11. Germany
John:
Have you actually watched this year’s European GP?
Stefano Domenicali is really just asking for in-season testing for car improvement; young drivers don’t matter to Ferrari. Ferrari never ever bring in rookies, only drivers who have proved themselves elsewhere. Therefore the only reason for Ferrari to moan about no testing is they’re not getting any advantage of owning test circuits.
GP2 really has shown how good new drivers to F1 can be.
As for pay-TV killing F1? Yes, I do agree, but boring circuits like Valencia and this year’s duff tyres are probably doing more damage.
Without Free to Air TV, F1 puts itself at risk.
Italy goes more than 50% behind a pay wall next season, and if the UK is anything to go by Italy will see a drop of more than 12% in viewers.
He’s right, all the good ones (MSC, ALO, HAM, VET, KUB) have had lots of testing before their F1 debut.