As suggested here yesterday the FIA has moved quickly to allow race drivers to participate in what was originally scheduled to be the Young Driver test at Silverstone – but only “provided it is clear that the purpose of them doing this is to test tyres for Pirelli.”
The test, schedule for July 17-19, may also be extended by a day. Despite the change of circumstances, Mercedes will not participate, as a result of its penalty.
The FIA World Motor Sport Council will change the sporting regulations to make the test legal and also change the rule which says tyre specifications can only be changed with unanimous agreement.
The complication is that all the teams have development programmes lined-up for the rookies to conduct – and it remains to be seen whether race drivers will be allowed to try new parts while ostensibly tyre testing, and whether or not the teams share the same views on how to conduct the test. It may prove very hard to police.
This is also a rare instance of Jean Todt being seen to get directly involved in a major issue and actually comment on it.
Todt said in a statement: “Our priority is to ensure safety for all in Formula One and we believe the incidents at Silverstone represent a genuine safety concern for the drivers. We have thus taken the decision to alter the Young Driver Test to allow teams to use drivers they deem fit to carry out tyre development work in a bid to solve the problems we saw at the British Grand Prix. I believe it is fitting to carry out this work at the circuit upon which the issues were manifested.”
Explaining the changes, the FIA said: “The test, scheduled for July 17-19 at Silverstone, will now allow teams to field drivers who have competed in more than two F1 World Championship events The test may also be extended by one day.
“To provide for this, the FIA today informed Formula One’s teams that the approval of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) will be immediately sought for a change to article 22.4h (i)* of the 2013 Formula One Sporting Regulations.
“Approval will also be sought for a change to the wording of article 12.6.3 of the 2013 Formula One Technical Regulations** to allow for a modification of the specification of the tyres during the Championship season without the unanimous agreement of all competing teams.
“This will allow the FIA to take all necessary actions to ensure safety.
“Notwithstanding the revised conditions as set out above, in the interests of the sport the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team has accepted to not participate in this test, as per the recent decision of the International Tribunal.
“In the meantime, the FIA has asked Pirelli for an assurance that there will be no repetition of the tyre problems at this weekend’s German Grand Prix or at subsequent grand prix.”
Adam Cooper F1 
Race drivers can test….“provided it is clear that the purpose of them doing this is to test tyres for Pirelli.”
For who else could they be testing tyres for, other than Pirelli?
As Mercedes has had a test with Pirelli, this is nothing but evening the score with the other teams, under a fig leaf of “safety” concerns.
Just wait for the howls if a team is seen testing new parts that aren’t representative of what the cars ran at the British GP.
My guess is that racedrivers can only perform tyre-related testing, testing technical updates on the car will have to be performed by the so called young drivers (not that Paffett is young).
This is an amazingly sane and logical decision by the FIA. What is the world coming to?
What a half-arsed effort. We know Mercedes aren’t immune to the tyre failures. What happens when they loose another during a race AND cause themselves or a competitor serious damage?
All in the name of a face saving exercise.
Solve the tyre issues on the other cars and surely you’ll fix it for Mercedes too? That is unless you believe Mercedes had a different tyre issue to Torro Ross, McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari? Although it looked pretty similar to me !
Look at it this way – you are presumably a Merc fan. Note that the whole point of the Barcelona test was ‘safety’ allegedly, so in theory they were testing for the good of the other 10 teams. Now the other 10 teams are testing to help Mercedes. A much better chance of coming up with the right answers, don’t you think?
1 I’m not a Merc fan
2 It was a Pirelli test, for and conducted by, therefore
3 Not applicable
I don’t get it…the Merc test at Barcelona was allegedly for the 2014 tire designs. How could it have helped this years tires and problems? Hamilton’s grenading tire (from the lead I might add!) surely shows that Merc gained NOTHING from the Barcelona testing.
What happens at the ‘Ring this weekend? Can’t possibly find out the cause of the Silverstone problems, and if they could, make enough new tires for all the teams by this Friday, can they??
So Merc STILL are not allowed to test under the tire safety parameters in lieu of the young driver testing, even tho the rationale has radically changed.
And if new parts are allowed to to be tested then MB will truly be extra penalized for a paperwork offense (Barcelona) abetted by the FIA. BS of the highest magnitude!
Well actually George, you do get it. And pretty well too (I might add I’m with you).
There’re very few of us out there 😉