Silverstone test could be back

Duke

Duke

Duke

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http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/98927

Formula 1 teams are edging closer an agreement that will allow testing to return to Silverstone this year.

As AUTOSPORT revealed last month, teams have been considering switching the annual young driver test from its late-season Abu Dhabi slot to just after the British Grand Prix, because of concerns about the workload at the end of the season.

Further discussions took place over the Chinese GP weekend to try and find agreement on which venue would be preferred, but no consensus was reached.

Teams have therefore agreed that they will have the option of running at either Silverstone in July or at the Yas Marina circuit after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November.
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Bit of a shame now I've booked to go to the GP on Friday for the very reason that the testing is no longer there! But if it does come back, it would be a nice cheap way of seeing some F1 machinery, albeit without the main drivers.
 
I can't see this happening really though. The original arguments against it due to none of the young drivers actually being available to test mid season still stands true.

It will be the teams in dire need of more testing (Ferrari, for one) who will be pushing hard for this.

As I understand it if the test is titled as a 'young driver' test then none of the teams are allowed to use their race drivers are they?
 
Any evidence that Ferrari are pushing hard for it? no thought not....from the way it is worded then sounds like if a team wants to do the test at Silverstone then they have the option to do so...so why is not going to happen?

Why are the young drivers (or Paffett in McLaren's case) not available?
 
Because the young drivers are all involved in their own race series across the globe. These have all finished by the time of the Abu Dhabi GP, but Silverstone falls right in the middle of most Motorsport seasons. Its no good to a team whos 'young drivers' are competing in Formula Renault the other side of the world, for example. It makes the test only available to young drivers either currently not competing, or in GP2.

Young drivers does not mean 3rd drivers in most teams case. And nor should it. The idea behind the Young Drivers test is for teams to try out prospective drivers as other opportunities to do so are very limited with the testing ban.

If this does happen I hope they also keep the test in Abu Dhabi too, otherwise its going to rob a lot of young drivers of a chance to get a test in an F1 car.

I still stand by my opinion that this has very little to do with testing young drivers, and everything to do with blagging another in season test.
 
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Of course the solution would be to have the main test there again :D At least we have Mugello test after Bahrain this weekend, to shorten the break :)
 
Yeah, if they just created an extra test at Silverstone it would be great. Extra action, and with the major drivers involved. But I hope they don't move the Young Drivers test to get it.

I can't see the FIA allowing Mugello, Silverstone and Abu Dhabi though...
 
Skeeter said:
Because the young drivers are all involved in their own race series across the globe. These have all finished by the time of the Abu Dhabi GP, but Silverstone falls right in the middle of most Motorsport seasons. Its no good to a team whos 'young drivers' are competing in Formula Renault the other side of the world, for example. It makes the test only available to young drivers either currently not competing, or in GP2.

Young drivers does not mean 3rd drivers in most teams case. And nor should it. The idea behind the Young Drivers test is for teams to try out prospective drivers as other opportunities to do so are very limited with the testing ban.

If this does happen I hope they also keep the test in Abu Dhabi too, otherwise its going to rob a lot of young drivers of a chance to get a test in an F1 car.

I still stand by my opinion that this has very little to do with testing young drivers, and everything to do with blagging another in season test.
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So why are teams pushing for this test if they have none of their young drivers available? I think you are just guessing they will not be available, I don't see why they would not be available to attend a mid week test? Which team has a young driver competing on the other side of the world and would miss out on attending?
 
Skeeter said:
Because teams want as much testing as they can get their hands on given the current strict limits.
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But you are saying they will have no drivers? so the car will just sit in the garage? makes sense I guess....

Do the teams want as much testing as they can I have not seen much noise from them regarding the limits currently?
 
What? Jesus, I knew it was a bad idea to unhide one of your posts.

Ok, final attempt at getting this across to you:

They are saying they want to move the YOUNG DRIVERS test to Silverstone. The YOUNG DRIVERS test is designed to allow teams to test YOUNG DRIVERS, I would assume with an aim to putting them in the car in the future. Yes teams use it for development, but it is deliberately placed at the end of the season meaning it isn't used for in season development, rather for the start of next years development. Moving the YOUNG DRIVERS test to the middle of the year would decrease its effectiveness as a YOUNG DRIVER test. Teams will not be focusing on testing YOUNG DRIVERS, they will be focusing on testing car parts and upgrades for the current season, and a number of YOUNG DRIVERS will not be available. I haven't just made that up, it was a comment from someone (possibly Brawn) from when this was first proposed. The cars will not sit unused, but they will not be driven by YOUNG DRIVERS who would have otherwise been in them in Abu Dhabi. They will be driven by development or test drivers (i.e. Paffet). Or possibly even race drivers if the teams can get the FIA to agree (again, I'm asuming the current YOUNG DRIVER test is limited to not allowing race drivers?).

Its already extremely difficult for any young drivers to prove themselves worthy of a drive in F1, moving the YOUNG DRIVERS test will make it even harder.

Moving the YOUNG DRIVERS test to mid season changes it to a MID SEASON test, which is something very different. Having a MID SEASON test would be great, but they should keep the YOUNG DRIVERS test too. Trying to sneak an extra MID SEASON test past the FIA by pretending its a YOUNG DRIVER test is a bit cheeky.

How many non race drivers used to take part in the Silverstone tests, for example? Hardly any, if any at all.

So I say it again, this is all about getting another in season test, and nothing to do with young driver development.

If it means some more in season track action that I can go and see, :)
But if it means it robs young drivers of a chance to be in the spotlight, :(
 
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http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/98421

One idea that has received some support is to try and shift the young driver test to take place at Silverstone immediately after the British GP. However not all teams are in favour because of the difficulty of sorting out drivers at that stage of the campaign
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And:

http://www.f1zone.net/news/young-driver-test-could-be-moved-to-silverstone/13320/

However, with plans to hold the young drivers test mid-season at Silverstone, not all teams are 100% behind such a plan. After all, the young drivers which would take place in the test are usually engrossed in their own championships such as GP2, GP3, Formula 2 and World Series by Renault. The fact that all of these Championships would be ongoing could cause difficulties for teams as they try and plan who to have in their cars
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And:

http://www.thef1times.com/news/display/05686

However, the idea to relocate the test has also come in for some criticism. With the British GP taking place in July, some teams are concerned they won't have been given enough time to evaluate the fresh talent available to them.
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First 3 hits on Google.
 
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Go back to hiding them as you clearly have some issues discussing things like a grown up.

Most teams do indeed use young drivers in these tests, in fact I am sure there is some rules to govern who they can run, yes some teams might develop some mechanical parts at these tests, but they are not going to run rookie drivers purely to test, as their feedback would be pretty much nothing. It would be no different to the tests at Abu Dhabi where teams also develop parts that are not so driver dependant.

You have said this test would not happen as drivers are not available, you can't answer who is not available or why? Why would moving the test make it harder for young drivers to prove themselves, again you make a point that just makes no sense in the slightest. It's a young driver test no matter if they run it prior, during or after the season, the timing of the test does not change a single thing about how teams will use it. Did you class last seasons young driver test as a in-season test as we still had the Brazilian GP to go?

Quoting stuff from March is really good as well, things have moved on since then hence the teams discussing it last weekend :)
 
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See above.

I said the young driver test wont happen, not that no test will happen. If a test happens, it will not be a young driver test.
 
Only time will tell.

I think I'm entitled to my opinion though, especially when it is also shared by a number of the F1 teams.

For those interested, the 'Young Driver' test rules prevent teams from using any driver who has competed in more than 2 F1 races, while 'normal' tests (both Pre season and In season such as Mugello) are open to all drivers with the correct Licence (International A or above, I think).
 
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So your opinion is that its only a young driver test if its at Abu Dhabi?

Do you think if it's moved then teams can use their main drivers or something?

No driver who has competed in more than two F1 World Championship races may take part in this test and all drivers must be in possession of an International A Licence.
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Nice edit to add the rules I gave you LOL classic.
 
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? I've only just finished editing that post and just read yours.

If the teams get the FIA to aprove a test after Silverstone, I believe they will drop the 'Young Driver' rules. For one, what would be the point? You yourself said that using young drivers wont provide much meaningful car development feedback compared to using race drivers. A mid season test is far to valuable to the teams for them to be limited to just using people who fall into the 'Young Drivers' category.
 
Why on earth would they drop the young driver part? they are debating to move it due to the workload it would create if it stays at Abu Dhabi, it will not change into a free for all test. There is no debate with the teams or FIA to bring in a free test after Silverstone.
 
I would read the first post again if I was you.

Further discussions took place over the Chinese GP weekend to try and find agreement on which venue would be preferred, but no consensus was reached.

Teams have therefore agreed that they will have the option of running at either Silverstone in July or at the Yas Marina circuit after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November.
Click to expand...

So that to me says if teams want to run their young driver test after Silverstone then they can. Why would there be any debate about moving it if they could not use any drivers, seriously think about it for a minute or two.

There is no way it's going to be a free test for the teams, if teams run at Silverstone then they won't be able to run in the Abu Dhabi test later in the year.
 
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