Ferrari Won't Change Test Plans

With eight of Ferrari's rival team bosses having written to the company's president Luca di Montezemolo directly, asking for the outfit to fall in line with a reduced testing programme this year, it had been hoped that the continued bad publicity surrounding the situation could force a change of heart from the World Champions.

But Todt has made it clear that he will stick to his belief that Ferrari's own testing programme is a better way forwards to reduce costs than purely limiting the number of days running - and indicated that he could not care less that the other outfits are criticising him.

He has said before that rivals have no right to criticise him over cost matters after they chose to miss a cost-cuts meeting hosted by FIA president Max Mosley in January.

"It's such an unnecessary situation that we didn't create," explained Todt when asked about the latest letter from his rival teams.  "It is pointless to keep reminding us of the same things. We proposed some adaptation to the testing.

"We feel it is unfair for the small teams because they don't save any money. We have been proposing a lot of actions to save money from next year, but they (the other teams) refused to come to the meeting.

"It is a distraction for them because they keep having meetings. We will focus on the real problem. The only thing that matters is that we are not competitive and that is all. We will get out of it. We will do it."

Ferrari are testing at both Mugello and Fiorano this week as they work flat out to try and give the green light to the introduction of the F2005 for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The agreement reached between the other nine teams limits them to testing at only one circuit on a specific day.