F1 Testing Question

[jcas]

I thought in-season testing had been banned, yet in an Autosport interview with Kimi it said:

"Ferrari, however, is introducing major upgrades for this weekend's race in Spain, hoping to take a significant step forward. Test driver Marc Gene tested the evolution of the F60 car at Vairano last weekend, and the team was left encouraged by the results."

How did they manage that?

[Wanta996Gotta]

jcas said:

I thought in-season testing had been banned, yet in an Autosport interview with Kimi it said:

"Ferrari, however, is introducing major upgrades for this weekend's race in Spain, hoping to take a significant step forward. Test driver Marc Gene tested the evolution of the F60 car at Vairano last weekend, and the team was left encouraged by the results."

How did they manage that?

Yeah, i also found that strange - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75068

There may be a loophole or Kimi and Ferrari will have an appointment with the FIA

[AlpineWhite]

They can do straight line shakedown tests, 50km max I believe.

[BazC]

Straight line testing is still permitted.

[FourWheelDrift]

FIA Regs for 2009 said:

Testing

* Track testing is banned 7 days before the first race of the season until the 31st of December.
* Teams will be allowed to carry out three one day young driver training tests between the end of the last event of the Championship and 31 December of the same year. Drivers are eligible only if they have not competed in more than two F1 World Championship Events in the preceding 24 months or tested a Formula One car on more than four days in the same 24 month period.
* Teams can also conduct eight one day aerodynamic tests carried out on FIA approved straight line or constant radius sites between 1 January 2009 and the end of the last Event of the 2009 Championship.

There is a straight line and handling track there.

[Wanta996Gotta]

FourWheelDrift said:

FIA Regs for 2009 said:

Testing

* Track testing is banned 7 days before the first race of the season until the 31st of December.
* Teams will be allowed to carry out three one day young driver training tests between the end of the last event of the Championship and 31 December of the same year. Drivers are eligible only if they have not competed in more than two F1 World Championship Events in the preceding 24 months or tested a Formula One car on more than four days in the same 24 month period.
* Teams can also conduct eight one day aerodynamic tests carried out on FIA approved straight line or constant radius sites between 1 January 2009 and the end of the last Event of the 2009 Championship.

There is a straight line and handling track there.

Great Stuff.

[G0ldfysh]

Do they have to do a lap of the circuit to get to the main straight at the required testing speed?

[rdjohn]

Sounds like another carefully drafted FIA rule that allows for a coach and prancing horse to be driven through!

[stifler]

rdjohn said:

Sounds like another carefully drafted FIA rule that allows for a coach and prancing horse to be driven through!

Not really. Most teams use vairano.

[911mot]

Does this testing rule apply to parts or complete cars? I imagine there must be many mules out there running F1 stuff on them.

[paulrockliffe]

I did wonder that too, also, how do the cars turn around at each end if they can only go in a straight line?

On another thread someone mentioned Button taking the Brawn to Goodwood this year; how does that fit in with testing?

[paulrockliffe]

And.......... could I test the bodywork on some chassis that wasn't my current F1 car?

Seems a very difficult rule to police.

[pies]

Why are you bothered about testing on this track when the dancing donkeys have there own private track at Fiorano

[Jungles]

I presume the Fiorano track doesn't have a long enough straight.

For those who have seen the video footage of the test, Marc Gene was driving very very slowly on the curved parts. No way they could have gained any useful aero data from the turns.

[dpbird90]

911mot said:

Does this testing rule apply to parts or complete cars? I imagine there must be many mules out there running F1 stuff on them.

Yeah, Ferrari did time the 599XX launch a bit too well...