Renault, Jordan Tight-Lipped about Testing Plans

Minardi have confirmed they have chosen to opt for the FIA's new testing rules and ditch their season-long testing programme next year, while the Jordan and Renault teams have been the only ones who were not prepared to confirm or deny their testing plans.

The FIA said that the idea was tabled at the end of October and that three teams had to take up the option for it to be financially viable to put it in place. Yesterday they confirmed that they have "sufficient" applicants.

The teams will be given two extra hours of running on the Friday morning of each Grand Prix weekend but will have just ten days available to test and develop their cars during the season once it starts in Melbourne in March.

British American Racing boss David Richards revealed this morning that his team have chosen not to take up the option of Friday testing - although he did not rule out a change of mind before the start of the season.

"At the request of Honda we have decided not to take up the option of Friday testing," said Richards, who was understood to have personally favoured the idea. "I understand there will be further discussions in January."

The FIA refused to confirm the number of teams that have taken up the option but said: "We have received the applications needed to introduce it in 2003 and now those have opted in that's it, they cannot pull out."

It is understood, however, that although the deadline of December 15 has now passed, more teams could be allowed to take up the option before the start of the season. Minardi boss Paul Stoddart has been a strong supporter of the idea and confirmed his team have signed up but said he was surprised more teams had not taken up the option.

"I thought there would be about five," he said. "I think it is going to give us an enormous advantage because it gives test drivers an unprecedented opportunity to drive on Grand Prix tracks.

"Testing has a value but it is not always the be all and end all. You can do a very good job as long as you can test at the crucial times - and being allowed to test before the season and for 10 days during the season will be fine.

"We will make big gains. We will lose little to nothing on technical data, and we will benefit massively on a race weekend. It will give us significant financial savings and revenue."

The privately run Sauber team immediately denied rumours that they had opted out of testing - which to some is seen as an admission of financial frailty - but many of the other teams have remained tight lipped on the situation.

Ferrari press officer Luca Colajanni laughed when questioned whether the World Champions would take up the testing option and said: "We can say very openly that we will test as usual next year."

The other two of the 'big three' teams - Williams and McLaren - also confirmed they will run their full testing programmes next year and the big-budget Toyota team also said they will "continue the same format of testing" next season.

A spokesman for Jaguar insisted "it is not us" and confirmed the struggling Milton Keynes-based team will not be choosing to forgo their season of testing to run the extra hours on Friday.

The French Renault team refused to confirm or deny they have chosen the 10-day testing rule and said "I think we will make some comment in January."