(Motorsport-Complete.com) – Does Barcelona still have a future as a Formula 1 test track? The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has been the test course for the premier class for many years. The only official rides before the new season will be held in Spain, but now Barcelona is financially about to end .
The government no longer wants to subsidize the Formula 1 race, and the financial burden is so high that it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the test drives will remain. For some time now, the teams have been arguing about where the test drives should be held.
“I personally think that a take a look at in Bahrain or Abu Dhabi would make more sense” , says AlphaTauri team boss Franz Tost. The reason is clear: while the temperatures in Spain in February are not particularly representative of the season – it even snowed a few years ago – the weather in Bahrain is always good (unless a sandstorm prevents it again).
“There we have the temperatures under which we race. Let's take the tires: If they work here at the Take a look at, that means nothing for Australia or Bahrain or Vietnam because the temperatures in Barcelona are very low, “continues Tost. Only between 11 and 14: 30 the conditions are good.
McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl counters: “There is no reason to complain about Barcelona this year. The weather was good. The wind situation in Bahrain is often no better than here,” says er.
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The main argument against Bahrain are the higher costs that smaller teams don't want to cope with. It's not just about the journey itself, but above all about logistics. “People want to test here in Barcelona because it is easy to fly in parts from England or Italy,” says Tost. “This is a bit more complicated after Bahrain or Abu Dhabi. And more expensive.”
Therefore, testing will continue in Europe in the future. The only question is: where? The weather is already borderline in Spain, and if Barcelona breaks away as a test course, you have to look for a change. In the past, Jerez was often the venue, there is also the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, which Formula E uses as a test track – but in summer.
One of the many would also be possible Routes in Italy. Anything north is likely to drop due to the conditions. And everything south due to the cost.
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