JANUARY 28, 2005

Testing and the power of unity

There are a number of stories at the moment which seem to be designed to suggest that the unity between the nine Formula 1 teams will come unstuck over the question of testing. This appears to be based on the theory that BAR-Honda will break away and do more than the 30-day agreement allows. The aim of the testing agreement is to force Ferrari to accept that there must be limits. However the suggestion is that if Ferrari holds out the alliance will break up.

It is true that if one team is testing more than the others the sport will suffer but the nine teams reckon that the team that will suffer most is Ferrari because every victory will be undermined by the fact that the team enjoyed an unfair advantage. The pressure therefore is on Ferrari to bend to the will of the other teams as the Italian team is clearly in the minority. Things have not been helped by Ferrari signing a new agreement with FOM and the FIA to cover the period from 2008 to 2012 which has hardened attitudes against the Ferrari management.

Previous suggestions that the current unity amongst the F1 teams would quickly fall apart have been proved wrong because tthe teams are beginning to realize that when they stick together they have a lot of power that they have wasted in recent years by being divided and conquered.