The F1 teams are close to finalising an agreement to run the winter young driver test session in Abu Dhabi, immediately after the final Grand Prix of the 2010 season.
The young driver test is the only official opportunity for F1 cars to run before the end of the year, and it is enshrined in the FIA Sporting Regulations. Last year it took place at Jerez in the first week of December.
The consensus among the teams is that it would be better to stay in Abu Dhabi after the GP and run the test on Tuesday to Thursday. Not only will all the equipment and personnel be on site, it would also give the young drivers something to shoot at in terms of lap times.
It would also allow Bridgestone to end its F1 involvement sooner rather than later, rather than go through the expense of supplying a test in Spain some weeks later.
Teams say that staying in Abu Dhabi would be a lot cheaper than trekking to Spain in December, although it remains to be seen how the extended stay will be received by mechanics who will have just gone to Singapore, Japan, Korea and Brazil…
Abu Dhabi boss Richard Cregan told this blog: “If the teams and FOM can come to an agreement, we would be very happy to support it.”
There is also a suggestion that the teams might stay on after the young driver session for their first test with the 2011 rubber from whoever the new supplier turns out to be. That would involve the regular drivers and give the teams a good baseline from which to start. The teams are also keen to run in warm weather.
Adam Cooper F1 