Ferrari makes own test cuts
Ferrari has now officially decided to reject the latest 30-day testing limit proposed by its rival teams, but the outfit's sporting director Jean Todt has confirmed that Maranello will make is own cutbacks this season
The Frenchman has so far refused to attend any of the meetings held between
team bosses since the Brazilian Grand Prix, having been not invited to a key meeting at Interlagos, and has been unimpressed about what has been agreed by his rivals.
But speaking earlier this weekend, and before it became clear that BAR now looks certain to not join the 30-day testing limit, Todt confirmed Ferrari has chosen its own proposal which will lead to it completing less testing in 2005.
"We have prepared a programme which is more efficient and which takes into consideration the agreement that existed among the teams," said Todt. "Just to give you some figures, we have organised tests in 2005 which will allow us to cut down about 15 people, which means a saving of about three million euros.
"So finally, the fact that we can go along our way is going to prove itself more efficient because the others can do what they want."
Although Ferrari appears completely isolated from the other teams, and has faced a raft of criticism for not joining in with the testing restriction, Todt is defiant about its stance and says he is far from concerned about what other people think of his team.
"Well, from certain points of view, Ferrari has always been a bit isolated but it's not a problem," he explained. "The important thing is to do what we have to do. We are also isolated geographically. We are in a small province of Modena and we try to do our job well. I can understand this."
Todt suggested that the root of much of the criticism from rival team bosses was envy of Ferrari's success.
"We have perhaps made the lives of others a bit too tough during these last few years and so clearly, when Ferrari was not competitive, this impression of isolation did not exist as it exists today," he said. "But everyone simply wants to beat us, and we want to beat the others. This is the game and I understand what this entails."
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