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FIA test parameters a blow for Mercedes and Ferrari

FIA test parameters a blow for Mercedes and Ferrari

  • Published on 10 Jul 2013 08:55
  • comments 0
  • By: Rob Veenstra
The FIA has bad news for Mercedes and Ferrari this week. Earlier, it was suggested next week's young driver test at Silverstone might be extended by a day, becoming a four-day affair. That may have opened up the test to Mercedes, who were only banned from the 'three-day' Silverstone test as a penalty for the test-gate scandal.

But even though the FIA has confirmed Silverstone will remain only a three day test, behind the scenes it is rumoured the German team continues to push for at least one day, on safety grounds. "It cannot be," director Toto Wolff is quoted by Speed Week, "that we have to go to the Hungaroring with a tyre we do not know."

Lewis Hamilton thinks the ban, especially after the test was opened up to race drivers and car development, is not fair on Mercedes. "People don't appreciate how big a negative it is for us not to do the test," said the 2008 world champion. "We shouldn't be in this position in sport, but that's the way it is," added Hamilton.

Team chairman Niki Lauda, however, said Mercedes will have to accept the situation. "We will do everything we can to have a car in Hungary that can cope with these tyres," he told Osterreich newspaper, "even without testing."

The blow for Ferrari, meanwhile, is that the Italian team was set to count on the services at Silverstone of lead driver Fernando Alonso, who earlier ruled out appearing just to test tyres. But the FIA announced on Tuesday that race drivers can only test next week "provided the purpose of them doing this is to test tyres for Pirelli".

The governing body will have an observer on site "to ensure" that changes made to the cars whilst the race drivers are at the wheel "are exclusively related to the tyre tests". Asked if Alonso will still be attending, team boss Stefano Domenicali told Marca: "Right now we do not know as it depends upon the programme that we can do there". (GMM)

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Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
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Bahrain
29 - Mar 2
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24
Australia
Albert Park
5 - Apr 7
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
19 - Apr 21
China
Shanghai International Circuit
3 - May 5
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
17 - May 19
Italy
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
24 - May 26
Monaco
Monte Carlo
7 - Jun 9
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
21 - Jun 23
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
28 - Jun 30
Austria
Red Bull Ring
5 - Jul 7
United Kingdom
Silverstone
19 - Jul 21
Hungary
Hungaroring
26 - Jul 28
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1
Italy
Monza
13 - Sep 15
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
20 - Sep 22
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
18 - Oct 20
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
25 - Oct 27
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
1 - Nov 3
Brazil
Interlagos
22 - Nov 24
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
29 - Dec 1
Qatar
Losail International Circuit
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United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
29 - Mar 2
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24
Australia Albert Park
5 - Apr 7
Japan Circuit Suzuka
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China Shanghai International Circuit
3 - May 5
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
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Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
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Monaco Monte Carlo
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Canada Gilles Villeneuve
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Spain Circuit de Catalunya
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Austria Red Bull Ring
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United Kingdom Silverstone
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Hungary Hungaroring
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Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1
Italy Monza
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Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
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Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit
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United States of America Circuit of the Americas
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Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
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ES Fernando Alonso 14
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  • Weight 68 kg
  • Length 1.71 m
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