Mosley hints at reduced testing

"One of the ideas that has been put forward," Mosley explained, "is to stop all testing from February to November, except at a grand prix, and to increase the running on a Friday from two hours to four.

"By doing that you could eliminate the test team but allow the spare car and the test driver to run (on the Friday). That would make a massive saving.

"I dropped into a Barcelona test recently and it was like a GP. There were motorhomes, transporters, everything but parallel organisations, not the same people as at a race. The only difference is that there is no TV and no public and you could say no point.

"Everyone is there thinking they are going to improve their car, and they do slightly, but so does everyone else. So everything stays the same. The least one can say is that it's not rational. But I can't do anything about it unless the great majority of teams agree, and they don't at the moment. That may change in the future and certainly we believe that's the way to go.

"Contrary to popular belief the F1 rule-making process is completely democratic and without my 18 out of 26 votes in the F1 Commission, I can't do anything about it."

The 26 votes in the F1 Commission are held by the 11 teams, circuit promoters, sponsors, engine and tyre suppliers and one each for Mosley himself and Bernie Ecclestone, as the commercial rights holder.