Andreas Seidl, McLaren Formula 1 team boss, wants to revitalized the pre-season testing programme in 2022. He was disheartened with single testing this year.
This year the teams acceded to cap costs and restricted the testing to a single event of three days. Testing for 2021 held in Bahrain where teams had to share days between its drivers.
It pressed teams especially the ones suffering from mechanical problems at the test and lost track running. It also pressurized drivers who switched teams this year, including McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo.
Last weekend at Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Ricciardo was asked to make space for his team-mate Lando Norris. The British went on to ace his second F1 podium while Honey Badger found himself on the sixth position.
However, Ricciardo fully understands the team decision considering its needs and difficulties.
Seidl considers F1 decision to implement regulations overhaul in 2021 as a radical shift. This year, teams were allowed to carry their 2020 chassis so that the financial cap restraint could be assisted in a way. He is hopeful to find an agreement among teams for an increase in number of testing days.
“I think there’s no point complaining about the one and a half days of testing [per driver in 2020], because that was an agreement between all teams in order to only have one test this year to save costs,” he said.
“So [there’s] no point going into that too much.
“We all hope that for next year we go back to more testing days again, especially knowing that we have completely new cars.”
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Seidl also want the F1 to provide a gap between the testings so that the teams could analyze, identify and correct the problems. McLaren struggled with it this year on the testing day.
McLaren opted for Mercedes power units this year instead of Renault. The team also pushed its timelines to complete the car early.
The team was able to find an opportunity to settle Ricciardo in at Silverstone during filming days. It also helped the team understand its new engine before going for pre-season testing at Bahrain
It was able to squeeze in two Silverstone filming days in order to help Ricciardo settle in and for the team to learn about its new power unit with enough time to react before the Bahrain test.
Seidl added: “In my point of view, or at least from the McLaren point of view, it makes sense to do two tests with a good gap also in between, in order to be able to digest what we have learned from the first test, and also to be able to react with these brand new cars.”
