After being allowed only three days for pre-season testing in 2021, teams want the schedule beefed up again ahead of next season.
As a method of cost-cutting following the COVID-19 outbreak, the new generation of Formula 1 cars, planned for 2021, was pushed back a year, while large parts of the 2020 chassis were then carried over to the current season.
Pre-season testing was therefore slashed to only three days and moved to the Bahrain International Circuit following the delaying of the Australian Grand Prix, which means the Bahrain Grand Prix becomes the season-opener.
But while the 2021 chassis are an evolution of their predecessors, the 2022 cars will be designed completely from scratch to conform to the new regulations – a major shake-up for Formula 1.
And so teams are demanding more than just three days of testing ahead of the 2022 campaign.
That said, an extended testing schedule should also consider the costs, since for 2022 there will be not only the building of the new cars to consider but also the budget cap will reduce to $140million for the season.
Leave a Reply