29/04/2005
NEWS STORY
Further to our previous report, several readers have written in wanting to know whether such testing would be breaking the testing agreement between the nine 'rebel' teams.
A spokesperson at the FIA made it clear to Pitpass that whether teams are testing or not is of no concern to the sport's governing body, as the testing agreement is a 'gentleman's agreement' and is not subject to FIA ruling.
Other readers have suggested that the teams are probably only carrying out straight-line testing, or maybe even shakedowns.
This is correct, however, according to reports, the most recent test lasted for five days, which is hardly a shakedown. Furthermore any form of testing is carried out in order to glean information about your car, so surely even straight-line runs must be considered to be testing and therefore part of the thirty-day agreement.
Finally, one of the main reasons for the testing agreement was to cut costs. Running a test team, even in Yorkshire, won't come cheap.
As previously reported, McLaren is scheduled to run at Elvington next Thursday.