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Gunther Steiner has played down hopes F1 might head to Bahrain for winter testing next year. With uncharacteristic snow falling in Barcelona, the ten teams failed to agree unanimously to extend this week's first test: "It's hard to imagine two of us agreeing, let alone ten," said Steiner, the Haas team boss.
Many paddock figures think that trying to do all the winter testing in Europe is a mistake: "Even in good weather it can be pointless," said Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost. "It's so difficult to bring these tyres up to temperature. For years I've been trying to get us to test in Bahrain or Abu Dhabi, but unfortunately not everyone shares my opinion," he told Speed Week. "Maybe they'll change their minds now."
The big hurdle to Bahrain testing seems to be costs, but Steiner said logistics are also an issue for the European-based teams: "You have no idea how many new parts we get each day. It's unbelievable," he said.
"From England or Italy you put the parts in a van, drive eight hours and it's here. We have people driving back and forth all the time. If we go to Bahrain, only some teams can be organising private flights to deliver the new parts," Steiner added.
Grand Prix of Belgium
G. Zhou
Replies (4)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
I realize that its takes more preparation and money to test in Bahrain, but to test in Barcelona, with cold track and conditions that wont meet what we usually have midseason, Data is data, as I've said earlier, and of course any data is useful, but I think this data will be of lower value compared to what they'd get in Bahrain.
RogerF1
Posts: 501
Agreed and they only van the parts over because they can and this extends their development time. If it’s Bahrain they will have to be ready in time and stock up on spares. New parts can be fed in for the 2nd test. But then again, testing isn’t really a ‘fan’ event is it so it will be up to them if they develop the car on the first races in a bad test year. McLaren had a good dose of this but not fro: the weather :-)
Pauli
Posts: 140
There would be daily flights between Bahrain and Rome and London at least. I would be shocked if teams couldn't find a way to make agreement for daily shipments during testing for low enough price not to cost much more than Van trip from Italy to Barcelona (that isn't free either).
But major cost is to ship all initial equipment there and then back again because that requires multiple cargo airplanes instead of just multiple trucks to Barcelona.
RogerF1
Posts: 501
They’re a good way to Oz at Bahrain, just pack up and carry on.