As part of the sport's (misguided) attempts to reduce spending, it is understood there will be a dramatic reduction in the amount of testing available to teams next year.

Those halcyon days when most outfits employed a separate test team and might be in action on two different circuits, when teams were working at a variety of tracks, sometimes on different continents, both pre and in-season, must seem a distant memory.

Indeed, even 2014, when there were three pre-season tests - albeit, two of them in Bahrain - and subsequent outings in Barcelona, Silverstone and Abu Dhabi, must seem a long forgotten luxury compared to what will be available in 2016.

Whilst most of the rules remain the same, albeit the engine manufacturers having even less freedom to tweak their power units, it should not be forgotten that American outfit Haas joins the grid.

Nonetheless, the American team, like its rivals, will have just two four-day tests in which to prepare and no in-season tests. Yet the cash-eating development of minor aero upgrades will continue unabated

Both tests will take place in Barcelona, it is understood, the first beginning on 1 March, the second on 15 March.

The first race weekend, Australia, gets underway on Friday 1 April, which seems appropriate considering the amount of running some teams will have had.

Other than the fact that testing might be another way to attract fans - and bring in some money - the rules, in recent years, have allowed a number of upcoming drivers to make their F1 debuts.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by mike, 23/07/2015 1:56

"WTF is wrong with these people! Holy Shit They just don't get it...I am so sick of this BS! It is not that hard people.........This year proves F1 needs MORE testing.....I am about done with this sport....."

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2. Posted by Mugmug, 22/07/2015 22:08

"Somebody's brain is fried. Is there anyone out there who knows for sure who is responsible for this idiotic move?
There has to be someone at the top of the heap ( Jean Todt?) who is responsible for this.
Going by what the other bloggers are saying, it's unanimous that this is a bad decision. But then we're only the fans that pay these dip+&it's salaries. We don't count!!

F1 has just taken another step toward extinction."

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3. Posted by raven49, 22/07/2015 15:53

"What a shame. Limited testing and engine development (tokens) ensure Mercedes dominance. While Mercedes certainly deserves what they have earned, reducing testing and limiting development makes it impossible to catch up. The previous comments really say it all. In season testing and development made it possible for others to close the gap to Brawn with it's double diffuser getting the jump on everyone in 2009. They won 6 of the first 7 races before others began to catch up. The reduced in-season testing made this even more difficult.
2 four day tests and no in-season tests is ridiculous. Further reduction in engine development tokens hands the win to Mercedes. This isn't what Formula 1 was built on.
Just one addition - in the US, we limited to listening to the inane chatter of Hobbs, Machette and Diffey. The number of erroneous comments and missed pit stops has been increasing the last few years. How many times do these morons now state how slow or fast a car is on the straight compared to someone else and not mention the specific speeds. Even better is the late pit stop with Vettel or other top driver needing to make up five seconds in seven or eight laps and they intimate it could be done without a catastrophe. Pitiful!
Their poor performance combined with the scheduled changes should do the trick. RIP F1"

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4. Posted by Spindoctor, 22/07/2015 14:38

"Just when you thought they couldn't make it worse..... they completely screw the pooch!

"

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5. Posted by JayCee, 22/07/2015 10:30

"The level of stupidity astounds me .... as a long time fan of F1, I find my interest in it being gradually eroded.
There was a time that a F1 race took priority and I never missed a single one for years. With the constant destruction of the sport I'm finding less and less reasons to follow it. Restrictive engine rules , restrictive design rules , One move defence of overtaking , No fuel stops , One tyre supplier , and now even less testing.

I remember the days of speculation around a fast pole lap , was the car running on fumes ? ... will they need an early pit stop ? .. Was the 2nd car sandbagging and going to go on a long first stint. Tyre choices based on extensive testing , new aero tweaks based on testing , engine tweaks based on testing. All gone.
No wonder then that classic teams such as Mclaren struggle for half a season to make progress, Its not lack of ability , its lack of opportunity to improve.

Ahhh for the days of real strategy surprises. The times when you never knew what magic Ross Brawn would have discovered from a test session in Fiorano , No wonder the shining lights of F1 like Ross and Adrian called it a day .

I weep for the sport I loved

"

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6. Posted by alfsboy, 22/07/2015 9:36

"ridiculous"

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7. Posted by White Lightning, 22/07/2015 9:18

"So whoever gets to Turn 1 at Melbourne first wins the title again.

For God's sake the answer is simple - hold Monday/Tuesday tests at a few tracks across the season, charge £/$/€25 to local fans, open the paddock up for a few quid/bucks/euros more."

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