Toyota defiant on testing plans

Rival teams, including McLaren and Minardi, have said they will lodge a protest if Toyota pushes ahead with plans to run its cars throughout the F1 testing ban in November and December.

Toyota has signed up to join next year's world championship and existing teams believe it should therefore adhere to the ban, which runs from the last race of the season until January 1 2002.

But Andersson insists that Toyota has been given permission to test by motorsport's governing body, the FIA, and would be at a disadvantage if it didn't.

Rivals argue that entries for next year's world championship close on November 15 and any teams signed up at that point are bound by the Concorde Agreement, the document which governs Formula 1.

"We are not a competing team at the moment," said Andersson. "The rules state that we are allowed to test and I have had that confirmed to me again by the FIA. The rules are very clear."

"We have made our plans around this testing schedule, so why should we change them? It would not make sense for us to do that. I know a lot of the teams are talking about this, but we have made our plans."

The Cologne-based team, which uses Michelin tyres, caused further upset by testing at the venue of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix just two weeks ago. Rival tyre supplier Bridgestone felt this gave Michelin an unfair advantage as the French rubber had not been used at the Spa Francorchamps track before. What is more, testing is not allowed at a track less than three weeks before it is due to host a GP.

"Some teams are also not happy that Michelin are allowed to test tyres at the circuits with us because they think Michelin are getting an unfair advantage," continued Andersson. "But it would be ridiculous for us to test without the Michelin tyres. If we couldn't test with Michelin, then there would be no point testing at all."