Ferrari chief still against testing cuts

Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo is standing firm on the team's refusal to agree to the reduction of in-season testing because he believes it should be up to him to decide how much testing his team does. Ferrari presented its own proposals on the subject but the nine other teams who originally agreed to the test cut rejected them.

Jean Todt and Luca di Montezemolo.

Photo by Ferrari Media Center.

Di Montezemolo supported the reduction in engine capacity that will come into force in 2006, that Williams, Honda and Mercedes were against, as he believes that it's a better way of cutting costs than reducing testing would be. "It is an effective contribution to saving money," he told Welt am Sonntag in regard to the engine rules. "I do not support other ideas, such as limiting testing."

He went on to explain: "Imagine, in football, if Juventus or Bayern Munich or Manchester United had to train only in the morning, or only on Wednesdays. That would be stupid, manipulation. So, if I want my team to test for five days a week that is my problem."

When it was pointed out that testing costs a lot of money, di Montezemolo replied: "But it is my money. Even if I throw it out of the window, that's my decision. The topic of cutting costs is important but internal decisions must remain unaffected."

The Ferrari chief believes reducing technology is a better way of saving money, such as cutting back on expensive electronics and extending engine life. "I think an engine for two races is good," he said of next year's regulation. "It's a technical challenge for everyone and at the same time it costs less because at the end of development you need fewer engines."