BAR Accept 30-Day Limit on Testing

Honda-powered BAR are happy to limit testing to 30 days this season and still hope Ferrari will fall into line with the rest of Formula One, according to team boss Nick Fry.

Ending speculation that his team were set to scrap a commitment to the voluntary move after the World Champions made clear they would not sign up, Fry said Ferrari's rivals remained united.

"I think now there is a good level of agreement between all the Formula One teams, perhaps except Ferrari, that 30 days is the agreed amount," he said at the launch of the 2005 BAR in Spain at the weekend.

"It was suggested partly by us anyway, so 30 is the number. At the moment my understanding is that Ferrari do not agree with that," he added.

"I think it would probably be better for all involved if there were agreements between 10 teams rather than nine. So I would hope that between now and the start of the season we can agree all 10 of us and not have one team out on its own."

Ferrari's rivals are determined to cut costs in a year that will have 19 races - more than ever - and sought initially to halve the amount of testing between the season start in March and finish in October to 24 days.

Ferrari, constructors' champions for the past six years as well as winning the drivers' title with Michael Schumacher for five years in a row, are resistant to reducing testing since they have their own track in Italy and a special relationship with tyre maker Bridgestone.

Ferrari boss Jean Todt said recently however that they expected to save about three million euros ($3.93 million) by organising tests for 2005 that would require 15 fewer people.