F1 teams to have more pre-season tests in 2011

Posted at 12:00am on 30 August 2010

LONDON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Formula One teams will do more pre-season tests next year with the sixth and final one likely to be in Bahrain, according to McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh.

Testing is currently banned once the season has started, with limited track time during the European winter as part of cost-saving measures.

"We've agreed there will be six tests during the winter and probably the last one will be in Bahrain but it hasn't been quite agreed yet," Whitmarsh, chairman of the teams' association FOTA, told reporters at the Belgian Grand Prix.

"We want to make sure that it's cost effective for the small teams."

Bahrain is expected to be the first race on the 2011 calendar, which has yet to be published, as it was this year.

"I personally would like to see more testing but I am respectful of the fact that there are teams still hurting," said Whitmarsh.

"We've now got at least six tests in the winter so that's a step further forward. What we haven't got at the moment is agreement to test during the season.

"I'd like to see a couple of tests but we've made some progress. To have six tests in the winter is more than we've had in recent years."

Two of those tests will be with young drivers and Pirelli, replacing Bridgestone as Formula One's sole tyre provider.

While the bigger teams have complained about the lack of testing, and returning seven times champion Michael Schumacher has found it hard to get used to the tyres in his comeback year without extensive track time, the smaller outfits are anxious to keep costs down.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Justin Palmer; To query or comment on this story email: sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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