Williams-F1 blocking Schumacher from testing the F60.

I have a feeling that MS will not be able to test the F-60 prior to the first practice in Spain. But they can always on the F2007 take out the rear down force and screw in extra front down force to give him an view of what the F-60 is like.

About the only thing he will not have is the KERS Batman button and the adjustable front wings.

 

I have to agree with them. Jaime didn't get any seat time so no one else should either (but on the other hand, I think the Test ban is a stupid idea).

I do however think schumacher should be allowed to drive his F1 cars freely. They're his cars, and just because he's a former F1 driver doesn't mean he shouldn't be allowed to drive them.

 

Here's Williams' statement. I am a huge Tifoso, but I absolutely agree with them in this case

"While we welcome Michael Schumacher back to Formula 1, the fact is that any form of in-season circuit testing is strictly prohibited; a regulation clearly laid out by the FIA and adhered to by all of the teams," said team boss Frank Williams.

"It was for this reason that Alguersuari, who drove an F1 car for the very first time in Hungary, did not have the opportunity to familiarise himself with the Toro Rosso before he made his race debut.

"Williams sees no distinction between Alguersuari's situation and Schumacher's and feels that any deviation from the rule would create a precedent for the future.

"In a similar situation, Williams would unhesitatingly use its current test driver. For the sake of consistency and fairness, therefore, we oppose Ferrari's proposal to test ahead of the European Grand Prix."

 

I agree the logic makes some sense. One point that is different in the Schumacher case, however, is that Ferrari asked if Schumacher could have some seat time in the F60. Did Toro Rosso ask for an exemption to the rule ? If they had asked, in the interest of safety, would an exemption have been granted ?

Mike

 

The Jaime situation is totally different. The team fired a perfectly good driver. Massa was nearly killed in a freak accident forcing Ferrari to have to find a replacement driver on short notice.

 

They're probably just bitter that they got suspended or expelled from the FOTA.

 

Well, they fired Bordais...

Massa with 1 eye open, and status post recent brain surgery...

Prob about equal.

Hate to say it, but I agree with Williams...

The real problem is the test ban. Is this the pinnacle of motor sport? Might as well have a 1 race season...

 

Ferrari has qualified test drivers; they just don't want to use them. If they choose to use a non-prepared driver who, as I understand it, doesn't even have a current superlicense, well then they need to suffer the same consequences as any other team.

 

Frank's bitter that his team is sh1tting the bed this year despite having the double diffuser from race one.....as Haug said what comes around goes around.

 

+1

I doubt teams would have disagred with that.

And, wait it's only one team who's blocking, that means all the others doesn't see a problem.

So maybe majority isn't always right, but in that case...sounds just like pay back from williams.

williams the only team that is considering using kers next year while all the others team had agree no to.

 

Williams-F1 blocking Schumacher from testing..........

this thread-title brought a funny scene to my mind:

Sir Frank Williams, desperatly trying to prevent Ralf Schumacher from jumping into one of his F1-Cars........nice.

 

Note to Ferrari: What goes around, comes around. Blame yourselves, specifically Luca.

 

Seems dangerous(and idiotic) to not let a guy who's been out of it for 2 years not get familiar with a car. At some point common sense and safety should be allowed to dictate overall driver safety.

 

Maybe this whole thing could lead to a modification of rules at some point allowing a new in-season driver to test the car for a specificed number of laps under specific conditions. Perhaps this could be done on the track of the upcoming 1st race for the driver. This would be a strictly safety move.

 

In What possible way was bourdais a good driver in F1?.

Testing is not allowed this season, and there shouldn't be exceptions. I think the no-testing rule is stupid, because in situations like this, how on earth do you expect your replacement driver to be competitive without having driven the car since december?

There should be clearer rules on this but unfortunately, as the ways are of the FIA, this has not been looked into and now they're stuck.

 

You Bastards!

 

While I disagree with the testing ban, it is an existing rule all teams knew about and agreed to in advance. I wouldn't have asked for, nor expected, a waiver and I'm a huge Ferrari and Shumi fan. I hope Ferrari doesn't push the issue and from what I understand, Williams is but one hurdle- there's little to suggest Force India or the FIA would willingly go for it.

Let MS build his conditioning and work out the cobwebs in the F07. Set it up as best you can within the rules to simulate the current car and get the superlicense issue taken care of. The final tweeks can be safely over come during practice at Valencia. We're talking Michael Schumacher here....even Aljazeera basically said it's a steering wheel and pedals- it's not like MS doesn't understand the F60 is different.

 

seems more dangerous to me to let a 19 yo that has never been in f1 drive in a race for the first time. That's racing-dangerous.

 

Spot on.

 

Ferrari knows the rules. If they CHOOSE to be dangerous and idiotic -and disregard common sense and safety- that's their business.

 

Williams just said outloud what everyone else was thinking. While 'sporting' it would be to let Schumi test in the car, lets look at the guys history of developing racing machines. If I was a competitor and had a say in the matter I would keep Schumacher as far away from a Formula 1 car as possible!! Rusty yes, but I bet the driving 'practice' session would have involved about 50 new bits from the workshop!

Schumacher probably wins first race out anyways

 

I agree. And on the positive side, if MS doesn't have a great race the fans can (and no doubt will) point to his lack of practice and blame Frank Williams.

 

Let's not dump on poor Sir Frank too much
After all he has given quite a bit to the sport.

 

Not just Williams

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77540

Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso have joined Williams in opposing Ferrari's request to allow Michael Schumacher to test a 2009-specification ahead of his return to Formula 1 at Valencia later in the month.

The Red Bull teams are unwilling to cede to the request after Dietrich Mateschitz claimed that a similar one by Toro Rosso to give 19-year-old rookie Jaime Alguersuari some track time prior to his F1 debut in Hungary was refused.