F1: Preseason testing is inadequate

Mercedes F1 driver has hit out at F1 and the series bosses, saying that preseason testing is too short.

Teams are allowed to run only one car during test sessions with drivers having to share time in the cockpit over 3 days.

That amounts to just 1.5 days per driver, and if the car hits trouble and is parked for a half day or more, the drivers get the F1 shaft.

The 25-year-old called on chiefs to “compromise” with F1’s stars and allow constructors to run two machines. He said: “Personally speaking, I don’t think three days is enough.

“You’ve got to remember from a driver’s perspective, that is one-and-a-half days per driver. We were fortunate to do the [tire] tests last week but, had we not, that would have been getting on for 12 weeks out of the car from Abu Dhabi to Bahrain.

“I think three days with two cars would probably be a good place to be, and I think that would probably be the best compromise for all of the reasons why they’re trying to limit it. But right now, one and a half days per driver I think is too few.”

F1 used to run multiple pre-season test sessions at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. But that was scrapped in 2021 because the tightwad team owners wanted to save money.