Toro Rosso F1 boss Franz Tost unhappy with testing in Europe

A number of drivers - including Lewis Hamilton - have complained about low ambient temperatures making it difficult to get the most out of this week's running in Spain.

And some senior team figures also believe that the benefit of running when it is so cold is so much less than running in the higher temperatures experienced in Bahrain last year.

Tost said he was unhappy about the fact that testing had been restricted to just Europe this year on cost grounds.

"I have to say it's really difficult to estimate our own performance or the other teams', as track and ambient temperatures are far too low," he said.

"At the races where we expect much higher ones, the tyre management will be completely different.

"Personally, I don't like the tests in February here in Europe.

"You don't get the feedback on all the technical topics you need to be well prepared for the start of the season. Last year's test in Bahrain was much more useful."

NO PERFECT SOLUTION

Williams chief test and support engineer Rod Nelson said that Barcelona in the winter throws up unique problems, but he does not believe it makes testing worthless.

"When it's a cloud-free night and it's cold in the mornings, you face problems that you don't normally have at a circuit - except maybe Spa and Silverstone sometimes," he said.

"So you have to do different things to your car and maybe you do aero testing in the morning when it's very cold.

"And, as it warms up, you get on with the chassis work. But you'd be doing the aero testing anyway - you'd be flow-vising diffusers and logging vibrations anyway."

Nelson also reckons that Bahrain was not perfect last year because of high winds and sands affecting running.

"We had a very productive winter testing series in Bahrain last year, that's for sure," he added.

"The tyres are more in their designed working range in Bahrain.

"You go out of the garage in the morning and as long as it's not been too sandy overnight, you're straight into reasonable chassis testing.

"There are downsides. It's quite windy there. It's right in the middle of the Gulf, it gets sandy.

"The air's very dry so that can affect the engines. There's a bit of ying and yang there.

"It's certainly more difficult to react to any problems if you're in Bahrain and you're a seven-and-a-half-hour flight away rather than a one-and-a-half-hour flight.

"It's more expensive testing in Bahrain, by a big chunk. There are pros and cons."