Teams finalise Barcelona test plans
Red Bull Racing has become the final team to confirm its testing plans for Barcelona next week, with the team electing not to join Ferrari, Mercedes, Williams and HRT in running on the final four days of the test
The final pre-season test in Barcelona has been expanded into a five-day session after Mercedes GP elected to switch its programme - running Wednesday to Saturday instead of Tuesday until Friday.
There had been some discussion between teams about all outfits running on those days, but only Ferrari, HRT and Williams have elected to go down the Mercedes route.
Other outfits were adamant they wanted to stick to the original plan, and Red Bull Racing has spent this week evaluating whether it too would keep to the Tuesday-Friday schedule.
The team had to weigh up whether it would benefit from holding back its running so it mirrored main rival Ferrari's testing programme, or ran early to gain an extra day's preparation time before freight is shipped to Australia.
Red Bull Racing has now decided to run from Tuesday to Friday - meaning that Ferrari, Mercedes and Williams will run alone on Saturday.
As well as being the final pre-season test, Barcelona is set to mark the first time that all the 2011 cars will run at the same time, as HRT is hoping to unveil its new F111. A team spokesman told AUTOSPORT that it was "90 per cent certain" that the new car would run for the first time on the Wednesday or Thursday of the test.
Share Or Save This Story
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Jon Noble: An unfair perception or a genuine concern? Lifting the lid on Red Bull’s Tsunoda scepticism
WRC Acropolis Rally Greece: Evans’ WRC lead grows after seatbelt penalties
Wolff: Verstappen factor behind Red Bull's Austrian GP fight against Mercedes
Hamilton and Leclerc confused by woeful Ferrari pace in Austrian GP
Russell claimed a much-needed win in Austria, but could Verstappen - or Antonelli - have won?
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments