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[andrew]

Yes Lewis is right! I believe it's important for McLaren to test with their race drivers. Maybe give Paffett and turvey half day each on day 1 then 1 each for Lewis and Jenson the following days.

I just hope common sense will prevail.

I can understand a team (any team) not wanting their main drivers not take part in anything extra to a race wekend as they will want to keep the risk of one of the main drivers being injured as low as possible. However, I guess it depends on their testing programme. I would imagine that there are some areas where main driver line is the preferred choice for testing but there are probably areas where it is less important which drivers are in the car. Plus it wil give the reserve drivers some much needed and valuable time in the car. I think the test sessions should be split in 2 so that the main drivers and the reserve drivers all get some track time.

[The Ram]

Yes Lewis is right! I believe it's important for McLaren to test with their race drivers. Maybe give Paffett and turvey half day each on day 1 then 1 each for Lewis and Jenson the following days.

No.

[Big Azza]

The point of this extra testing day is for teams to also test their reserve drivers. They have been complaining non stop about the lack of testing so here it is!

This is important just in case something happens to the main drivers during the season!

[spankyham]

For Ferrari, Fernando Day 1 & 3, Felipe day 2.

[calvins48]

Yes Lewis is right! I believe it's important for McLaren to test with their race drivers. Maybe give Paffett and turvey half day each on day 1 then 1 each for Lewis and Jenson the following days.

I just hope common sense will prevail.

I can understand a team (any team) not wanting their main drivers not take part in anything extra to a race wekend as they will want to keep the risk of one of the main drivers being injured as low as possible.

I don't think this is why they choose not to run their main drivers.

This isn't Soccer where if you have a game coming up against a rubbish team you rest your best players to avoid unnecessary injury. The drivers do 20 must-race races a year where they're at risk of getting hurt and the Mugello test is no less important.

They choose not to run their main drivers simply to give their test/reserve drivers a chance to get into a real Formula 1 car, rather than just driving on the simulator. Some teams have chosen not to run their test/reserve drivers because they feel that they'd get better feedback from their main drivers, which is understandable.

[racechick]

An article in autospsort has the headline "Mugello test pivotal in 2012 title fight"
Of all the teams listed McLaren were the only team not planning to take the race drivers with them. All the others are. Most have their race drivers in every day.
HRT arent going.
Hope they see sense and let Lewis test now he's asked if he can.

[NocturnalTendencies]

This is the first in-season test since 2008, does anyone know the reason(s) behind why they reinstated this?

Red Bull must be counting their lucky stars for this testing period, they've had a somewhat rough go of it thus far.

Cheers

[andrew]

This is the first in-season test since 2008, does anyone know the reason(s) behind why they reinstated this?

The ban was ridiculous and the FiA have seen snce at last. I think is was introduced by Mosley in his attempt to create a cut price bargin basement Formula 1.

Red Bull must be counting their lucky stars for this testing period, they've had a somewhat rough go of it thus far.

I'm sure all teams are counting their lucky stars!

[calvins48]

A different attitude to Hamilton...

Button happy to sit out Mugello.
Jenson content to miss test as no "massive updates to try".

Jenson Button says he is happy for McLaren's test drivers to be carry out the team's programme at Mugello next week, despite Lewis Hamilton having suggested he now wants to be in the car.

However, in wake of a wretched Sunday in Bahrain when Hamilton finished eighth and Button retired amid race-long problems with rear tyre wear, the former said "I need to get back in the car. We need to figure out why the tyres are going off".

However, Hamilton's team-mate appears content to still skip the test as planned, Button saying that as McLaren aren't trying out any huge update packages the workload can be carried out by test drivers.

"The reason why we're not there is because we've never been to Mugello before," he said.

"I don't really think we will be a benefit because there aren't any massive updates to try.

"For the test drivers to put some miles on parts and try some very extreme things, then I think it's good, but it's not necessary for us to be there."

McLaren are so far the only team scheduled to run without either of their race drivers in Mugello, with Lotus, Caterham, Williams and Force India all using test drivers for Tuesday's opening day before drafting in their usual runners for the final two days.

Source: Sky Sports F1

McLaren having no major upgrades to test on their car surprises me. Maybe they're taking Mugello as an in-season Young Driver Test (like Abu Dhabi is towards the end of a season) rather than a new parts test.
They need to upgrade their car after their poor performance in Bahrain. Even if they had perfect pit stops, they were still well off the pace. If nothing major is coming to Mugello then they'd better get a move-on and get some crucial parts ready for Barcelona a week later!

Keep working hard, Woking!

[racechick]

Well Im glad lewis is going. For so many reasons. Just worried (as someone suggested earlier)he may now have made some more enemies.

[bud]

Even if they had perfect pit stops, they were still well off the pace. If nothing major is coming to Mugello then they'd better get a move-on and get some crucial parts ready for Barcelona a week later!

Keep working hard, Woking!

Well they said post race that their race pace was 1 second slower than their Friday race pace simulation so its a setup issue. I think we have seen this year with other teams having bad weekends where the next they are winning i.e. Merc and Redbull and this was down to the setup and of course characteristics of that track and temps etc.
the race day being 10c lower in temperature than the teams saw Saturday and Friday probably played a big role in why McLaren dropped off so much.
Every team is still trying to get their head around these damn Pirellis!

[myownalias]

Lewis Hamilton will not be in action at next week's Mugello test after McLaren confirmed they were sticking to their original plan to run their test drivers across the three days.

The Woking squad announced last week that British pair Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey would share the workload with the MP4-27 at the test circuit in Tuscany, with race drivers Hamilton and Jenson Button not back in the car until the following week's Spanish Grand Prix.

However, in light of a disappointing Bahrain GP for the team last weekend, Hamilton suggested they might need to change their Mugello plans, saying: "I need to get back in the car. We need to figure out why the tyres are going off."

McLaren have, however, on Friday confirmed to skysports.com/formula1 that the 2008 World Champion will still not be in attendance at the test, with therefore Paffett and Turvey running as planned in the MP4-27.

The pair will share driving duties on Tuesday's opening day, with 25-year-old Turvey in the car in the morning before his elder compatriot takes over in the afternoon.

DTM veteran Paffett will then have the race-winning challenger to himself on Wednesday, before Turvey wraps up the week on Thursday.

Although Hamilton appeared keen to get back behind the wheel before the first race of the European season, team-mate Button said he was happy for McLaren's test drivers to carry out the development work.

"The reason why we're not there is because we've never been to Mugello before," Button said.

"I don't really think we will be a benefit because there aren't any massive updates to try.

"For the test drivers to put some miles on parts and try some very extreme things, then I think it's good, but it's not necessary for us to be there."

Source: http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12433/7709292/

[racechick]

Bloody bloody STUPID Mclaren Wont let Lewis test the car. Idiots.

[Hammer278]

I dont see why Lewis needs to waste his time, when they supposedly have 'no major updates' on the car.

Wtf? Is there another test after this before Barcelona where McLaren can make some PROGRESS?

Hey Lewis, don't extend the contract yet mate...Webber or Schumachers might be up by end of this year.

[myownalias]

Hey Lewis, don't extend the contract yet mate...Webber or Schumachers might be up by end of this year.

I hope that Lewis doesn't re-sign for McLaren then we can stop with the constant conspiracy theories, these theories only exist because Lewis isn't doing so well last/this season!