Round-up: Ferrari joins Barcelona test

Ferrari becomes the sole frontrunning team on Bridgestone rubber next season and is understood to be keen on monitoring their Michelin rivals from the start of the year, rather than sticking to its Fiorano test track as it has done in the past.

With regular race drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello still on vacation, test drivers Luca Badoer and Luciano Burti will be behind the wheel. One of them will, however, leave the test early for a scheduled test at Fiorano.

Schumacher and Barrichello will test for the first time this year at Valencia on January 21, the same day as McLaren launches its 2002 car at Barcelona.

McLaren will have built three of its new MP4-17 chassis by the time it launches its 2002 campaign at Barcelona. "Number one will have been used for the FIA crash test programme, number two will be on hand for the unveiling and the third chassis will be being finished off in the factory," said McLaren's managing director Martin Whitmarsh.

All four contracted Williams-BMW drivers will be on hand at Barcelona next week to drive interim FW23C cars. Race drivers Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya will share duties with testers Marc Gene and Antonio Pizzonia. The launch date for this year's FW24 chassis is January 25 at Silverstone.

Staff from Prost Grand Prix gathered in front of the French Ministry of Finance and Industry today (Friday) in a bid to encourage French companies to back its ailing Formula 1 team. Representatives are scheduled to meet minister Laurent Fabius to discuss its plight.

Open Telefonica Nissan racers Antonio Garcia, Franck Montagny and Matteo Bobbi will test for Minardi at Valencia from January 15 alongside confirmed race driver Alex Yoong.