Gascoyne frustrated by testing disagreement

Although nine teams have agreed to a repeat of the 30-day in-season limit on testing, the deal will fall apart if Ferrari do not also sign-up to the limitation.

And, with the Maranello outfit still standing firm in their belief that a kilometre limit would be much better than a day limit, it is looking increasingly likely that no deal will be reached - meaning testing becomes a free-for-all.

Gascoyne said: "Certainly some of the things that have been proposed from Ferrari, they are not a testing limit.

"I just think it is a shame that if nine out of 10 teams can agree then you cannot get 10 out of 10 to agree. We are meant to be controlling costs and if you cannot get a testing agreement then you may as well give up trying to control costs."

Ferrari have so far shown no willingness to adopt a day-limit for testing. Instead the team claim it is more cost-effective for a kilometre limit to be laid down over the course of the season.

The Maranello team's sporting director Jean Todt said a counter-proposal had been offered to the other nine outfits in response to their agreement over a day limit.

"With regards to testing, we made a counter proposal which goes in the direction of limiting kilometres rather than days," said Todt. "We are ready to sign an agreement on this with the other teams and we are now waiting for their comments on it."

Honda Racing and Toro Rosso are already set to join Ferrari in a test at Bahrain next month in a run that suggests testing costs are increasing.

Gascoyne said Toyota would not accept the invite from Bahrain organisers to take part in the test - because of both financial and logistical reasons.

"Logistically it is a nightmare before the start of the season," he explained. "I don't think we will go from a budget point of view and logistically you get useful information from the one test, but you screw the test before and after. Do you want to lose two tests to do one?

"I am quite happy for someone else to pay to do it, but I don't think we will go. And we are trying to cut costs aren't we?"