Michael downplays testing concerns

Nine of the ten Formula One teams agreed last season to limit in-season testing to 30 days, but the deal looks set to collapse this year as Ferrari continue to refuse to join the agreement.

But Michael has joined Honda's technical director Geoff Willis in playing down the effect the lack of a deal would have, saying teams are unlikely to increase their testing to more than 40 days.

"I don't think there is going to be [a lot more testing]," Michael said. You have a turnaround time of two weeks. You have a week with the race team in the factory and a week with the test team in, so it is pretty hard to go much further.

"You would definitely increase on 30 days but not much more than 40. Especially with a testing restriction of 30,000km for 2008 you are not going to invest in massive new facilities for 12 months usage.

"We are still pretty hopeful that we can come to a testing agreement everyone can sign but the other implication is not mileage but locations.

"If there is no testing agreement then we will try and test on GP tracks so you will test at Imola, Nurburgring, Monte Carlo, all the tracks we can't test on now two or three weeks before the GP."