Testing times ahead for F1 teams

If everything goes according to plan, all 11 teams will endeavour to ensure that any glitches found during the first test in Jerez have been eliminated.

Renault power, or lack of, will be the one most closely watched.

It will be the first outing for Lotus, who chose to opt out of the Jerez sessions.

Due to announce the name of a new team principal, following the departure of Eric Boullier to McLaren, the beleaguered Enstone outfit certainly need a change of fortunes.

Highly-publicised major sponsorship deals appear to have vaporised and the organisation has battled financial difficulties for some time.

Getting back to the Renault power train problems, Red Bull’s Christian Horner was recently asked about the disastrous first test results.

He replied: “There are a few things we needed to tighten up on our side but nothing major and obviously Renault have some issues that they are tidying up.

“But these cars are so complicated that even small problems can cause big failures.”

Let’s hope that it is the case for the reigning champions.

It was reported that F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone called the first tests of the new cars a “total farce” but Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali believes that the pinnacle of motorsport needs to avoid self destruction.

Speaking to the official Ferrari website he said that the sport needs to portray itself in a more positive light and the changes will take some time to be refined.

He also believes that F1 is too concerned about issues such as engine noise rather than to what F1 fans at the circuit really want to experience.

“Personally, I don’t think this aspect will keep people away from the racetracks. We should be more concerned with the Grand Prix event as a whole and we need to find a strategy to attract youngsters to our sport, which today has a hard-core of fans aged between 35 and 50.

“We need to get back to having the car seen as an inspirational theme and not just as a means of transport, which adds nothing to our existence.”

Let us hope that he is not alone in this ideology.

Motorsport needs fans and the fans need a sport that is worth following.