McLaren wants return to extra F1 testing in 2022
McLaren Formula 1 team principal Andreas Seidl wants to see an extended pre-season testing programme return in 2022 after this year’s reduced running.
For cost reasons, teams agreed to have just a single three-day session in Bahrain in 2021, shared between their two drivers.
That put extra pressure on any teams that suffered mechanical problems at the test and lost track running, and it also made life difficult for drivers settling into new teams, including McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo.
Ricciardo was asked to move aside for team-mate Lando Norris in last weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and went on to finish sixth as Norris scored his second F1 podium, the Australian admitting that he had "not underestimated" the difficulties in adjusting.
Seidl says that with F1's radical regulation shift set to come into play next year, after the 2020 chassis were carried over to this year to assist teams' finances amid the pandemic, he's hopeful of reaching an agreement to increase the number of test days.
PLUS: How “overwhelming” McLaren move has given Ricciardo a new verve
“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.”
Andreas Seidl, Team Principal, McLaren
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Seidl also hopes that the two tests are held with an interval that will allow teams to analyse what they learn from the first outing, in effect mirroring what McLaren tried to achieve this year with its filming day running.
The Woking outfit, which had the added challenge of switching from Renault to Mercedes power this year, made a special effort to complete its new car early.
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.”
Share Or Save This Story
Krack: Aston Martin F1 team no longer in “no-man’s land”
Gasly rues costly floor damage from Ocon contact in F1 Japanese GP
How an F1 underachiever became a Japanese political player
Who could stand-in for Verstappen at Red Bull if he gets an F1 race ban?
Top five Australian F1 drivers ranked: Brabham, Webber, Piastri and more
Why life after racing in F1 has plenty of upsides for Ricciardo
FIA to hear McLaren and Red Bull's Monaco GP appeal next week
Why Garden Gate Green and Yamura White are all part of McLaren’s colourful history
Could McLaren follow Red Bull’s path with its own F1 engine – and should it?
What we learned from the 2026 F1 Dutch GP sprint race and qualifying
Verstappen suffering from "flu-like" illness as Zandvoort exposes Red Bull's fundamental problems
Why Verstappen's 2026 Mercedes contact was very different from last year's
F1 Dutch GP: Norris pips Russell to grab pole
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments