F1 | Alonso: “3 days of testing are few, here are my proposals”

Going back in time, ten years ago, at the dawn of the new hybrid Power Unit regulations, the teams had twelve days of pre-season testing available to test the new cars before they took to the track for the start of the world championship .

As the seasons went by, this number progressively decreased, leaving less and less space for the possibility of thoroughly testing the single-seaters. Since 2016, in fact, there had been only two sessions for a total of eight days, with a program maintained until the revolution of 2021: given that the new cars took several elements from the cars that preceded them, despite a regulatory change with which decided to cut part of the fund to reduce the overall load, the team and Formula 1 had chosen to hold a single three-day session in Bahrain, home of the opening GP of the season.

Since then, Formula 1 has always repeated the same pattern, with three days in Sakhir before the start of the world championship. The only exception was seen in 2022, when another session was exceptionally added in Barcelona to give the teams the opportunity to collect more data on the new generation of ground effect single-seaters. From 2023, however, we have returned to a single three-day session in Bahrain, with a program that will be repeated this year too.

If on the one hand carrying out a shorter test, among other things on the same track where the first Grand Prix of the year will be held, represents a possibility of saving for the teams, on the other hand Alonso believes that the drivers are penalized by the lack of tests. In fact, considering that each team can only run one car at a time, the time available for each driver is halved, going to a day and a half. Indeed, over the years there have been occasions in which, due to commercial agreements, the official riders had to leave room for reserves, thus arriving at the start of the world championship with only eight hours of preparation behind them.

Although the cars are now generally very reliable, in the last three seasons there have been episodes in which small problems have forced drivers to remain in the pits for a prolonged period of time. Precisely for this reason, Fernando Alonso would like to see a change made to the testing programme, giving more space to pre-season tests.

“We have a very limited test in Bahrain. I've been thinking about this all winter, how unfair it is that we only have a day and a half to prepare for a world championship. There is no other sport in the world, with all the money involved and with all the marketing and the good things that are said about Formula 1 and about being ever closer to the fans, where this happens.”

The cars on track during testing in Bahrain last year

Photo by: Alfa Romeo

“I don't understand why not go to Bahrain for four days, which could be two and two for the drivers. If it goes to three, which is not an even number, which is an odd number, it cannot be divided between the drivers. And I don't know why we don't go with two cars. Because we are already in Bahrain and we race the following week”, added the Spaniard, proposing either to extend the tests or to run with two single-seaters. This last aspect is also affected by the fact that at the beginning of the season the teams only have a limited quantity of ready-made chassis and, in the event of an accident, they may have to deal with not having sufficient supplies to face the first part of the season with a margin safety. A discussion that applies above all to teams with fewer resources.

Alonso is not the only driver who has made a call to open up winter testing to two cars, with George Russell also supporting the idea. “Personally, I don't think three days is enough, because, from the pilots' point of view, it's a day and a half for each one.”

“Could you imagine Rafael Nadal going 12 weeks without hitting a ball and then going straight to the French Open with a day and a half of practice? That would never happen. I understand and recognize why we do it. I think three days with two cars would probably be a good starting point,” explained the Briton.

George Russell, Mercedes W15

Photo by: Mercedes AMG

However, the drivers also have to deal with a calendar that many define as brutal, with 24 races in a single season, a record number for the category. This year the world championship will start at the end of February and conclude at the beginning of December, leaving little room to breathe. From this point of view, Sergio Perez would be in favor of a reduction in the number of championship stages, with a maximum of twenty events.

However, as long as the trend is to continue adding Grands Prix to the calendar, the possibility of extending the tests, according to the Mexican, will not be feasible: “There's no time, we have 24 races! So… yes , I think the calendar is already brutal. So there is no time for more tests.”