Brawn: Fiorano key to testing deal

A deal that limits all teams to 36-day testing during the season, with allowances for a nominated 'home track' like Fiorano, was unanimously approved at Sakhir this weekend after being signed off by all 11 teams.

And, after Ferrari stood alone last year in refusing to agree to a 30-day limit agreed by the nine other teams, the new pact brings to an end fears that testing could escalate dramatically if a deal was not struck.

Brawn claims that putting the deal together was not straightforward and believes it would not have happened at all without rivals accepting that Ferrari could continue to use their own test track in Maranello.

"The issue last year was that we were the only team on Bridgestone, so it was difficult to find an amicable agreement," he said. "But that has obviously changed and we can already see that Toyota and Williams are contributing to a tyre development programme, so that has improved markedly.

"What the other teams would not accept last year, which they have accepted this year, is that Fiorano has to be accommodated, because we have had the investment and we are not going to give that up.

"There was a period of discussions where it did not appear that an agreement was possible and then, I have to say, (Williams co-owner) Patrick Head and (Honda Racing boss) Nick Fry came to see us with an alternative proposal which was much more in line with what we wanted."

Brawn reveals, however, that one rival team were completely against Ferrari's use of Fiorano before they eventually backed down.

"There was one team in the pitlane that believed we should not use Fiorano, saying it was unfair," explained Brawn. "There was no way we were going to accept that."

Brawn also made it clear that Ferrari signing up to the testing agreement would have no impact on their plans to further evaluate Valentino Rossi this year.

"I don't think the testing agreement will affect the process of making a decision," he said.