Willis Predicts More Testing in 2005

BAR-Honda technical director Geoff Willis on Friday predicted an increase in testing and a decrease in running during Grand Prix weekends next year after the FIA introduced new regulations for 2005.

The new regulations put an emphasis on long-life parts with engines required to last two races rather than one and one set of tyres to be used for qualifying and the race rather than three or four.

Willis, whose team use Michelin tyres, said: "The consequence of the engine changes and the tyre changes are probably going to put running on a weekend down to an absolute minimum and put the testing load up enormously.

"The two are going to clash with one another. In order to establish which tyre is correct we will have to do a lot of running but to maximise the reliability on the engine we are going to have to minimise the mileage.

"I can see the logic behind the tyre rule and it is going to be a balance. I suppose in the end you have to decide if the spectacle is better or not and the proof of that is in the tasting."

Willis said the rules were "pretty much what was expected" after three months of deliberation but after using them as the basis for the 2005 car he said he wished they had been properly agreed earlier.

The long-life engine requirement will put pressure on BAR's engine partners Honda. But regulations for 2006 go one step further and demand an all-new 2.4-litre V8 formula, rather than the current 3-litre V10, and Honda have already spoken out against the proposals.

But Willis added: "Speaking on behalf of Honda, they are looking to make sure there is enough engineering challenge in the engine design. That is something we have to be careful of. I think we are all perfectly happy in stopping the use of extremely expensive materials and technologies, but we have to make sure Formula One doesn't end up at an evolutionary dead end.

"It is a difficult one because you can't put a genie back in the bottle. If the technology is out there, the performance of the cars is out there and we have to find a way of keeping the interest, controlling cost and capping performance.

"I'm not sure there was going to be a solution that everybody would be happy with but I think all engineers like changes in rules because they are interesting. We will have to wait and see if they achieve the targets. I don't believe any of us think the cars are too fast at the moment but certainly we need to look at ways of reducing the performance of cars in the future."