Gene to help Alonso, not Massa?

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I dont really understand what a test driver does anymore?

There is only a limited number of tests, and the race drivers drive these.

Surely there is only so much that can be got from a test driver on a simulator, as it is simulated, and may not be real (and knowing Ferraris calibration issues probably isnt)

Its probably a playstation ;-)

i think ferrari should be thankful that they don’t have the evil helmut marko on the payroll. he is the master as dissing on one of his drivers [not of the teutonic culture] in a public shaming re ‘being flakey under pressure’.

Marc Gene is a joke, he couldn't step up when Felipe was injured, I can't see what help he could be to either of the drivers.

He's a test driver for a reason. If he was actually any good he would have stayed on the grid.

HGW is right, test drivers are a joke, especially with Bianchi being the nominated 3rd driver.

Is Fisi still on the books? If he is, what waste of money having two 'test' drivers on pay that don't do anything other than straight line tests which surely the reserve driver should be doing.

i presume that you have been in touch with domenicali and pointed all this out to him? .....what did he say?

Testing can't be done on the new spec car, but what about last year's car? I mean the rules remain the same, and i doubt if there is any restriction on testing the older version.

Cricket India

from Fia site

"since 2009 teams have been limited to 15,000 test kilometres during a calendar year. Promotional events (of which each team is allowed eight per season up to a maximum distance of 100km each) do not count towards this tally.

Testing can only take place at FIA-approved sites and, ahead of a session, teams must inform the governing body of their schedule so that an observer can be appointed if deemed necessary. All cars must be fitted with the standardised, FIA-approved Electronic Control Unit and have successfully passed all FIA-mandated crash tests.

Three team tests of no more than four days are permitted between February 1 and the week preceding the first race of the season, but no track testing is allowed during the season. The only exceptions are one three day young driver test (open to drivers that have competed in no more than two world championship races) and four one day aerodynamic tests carried out on FIA approved straight line or constant radius sites.

There are also restrictions on wind tunnel testing - the scale models used may be no larger than 60 per cent and speeds are limited to 50 metres per second, however teams are permitted to substitute one of their one day aerodynamic tests for four hours of wind-on testing in a full scale wind tunnel to be carried out in a single twenty four hour period.

what would be the point of testing on the previous years car if it was in the identical spec to the year of manufacture. the minute anything is changed to that of the 'new year' spec it would be different car would it not? if so then it would come under the rules that tam has just posted.

i dont think they are allowed to test, or even run the old cars, i think they come under the promotional runs, after all the car that Red Bull use for their promo runs through the streets, etc is not the current years.

Basically i dont think the teams are allowed to check the tyre pressures without written permission from the FIA at least two weeks in advanced


Cost saving is all very well, but if you have invested a lot of money into a test track, its a waste of money if it sits empty most of the year.

Let the teams spend their money on what they want

yes, i to would like to see teams make the choice of whether or not they go testing.

it is their money, let them spend it as they please.

Nah, bernie wouldn't allow such liberties teams, and still he manages to have them together under one roof. amazing.

What that be, calling teams spineless, or bernie a brilliant strategist? I perfer the second.

Cricket India