FORUMula1.com

[Rivelution]

Since in season testing is banned for this year, can teams still test new designs and stuff during practice or when they're out of the race early?

[8-ball]

I assume not but I cannot be bothered to look this up now

[McLaren Fan]

I haven't checked the rules, so I can't guarantee if this is correct, but you are not allowed to make any significant technical changes to the car throughout the weekend. The term is pretty blurred though. I remember last season when a couple of teams removed those covers from the front wheel rims some regarded that as a significant alteration to the car. In other words, testing a new rear wing or something could fall under that regulation.

[Rivelution]

I haven't checked the rules, so I can't guarantee if this is correct, but you are not allowed to make any significant technical changes to the car throughout the weekend. The term is pretty blurred though. I remember last season when a couple of teams removed those covers from the front wheel rims some regarded that as a significant alteration to the car. In other words, testing a new rear wing or something could fall under that regulation.

Well I'm pretty sure they would keep it low key, like testing a new damper or something that isnt real obvious. It happens a lot in sports car racing, they'll fix up their car and go back out and test new settings.

[SarahB62]

[quote][/22) TRACK AND WIND TUNNEL TESTING
22.1 a) Track testing shall be considered any track running time undertaken by a competitor entered in the
Championship with the exception of :
i) promotional or demonstration events carried out using tyres provided specifically for this
purpose by the appointed supplier ;
ii) young driver training, any such driver having not competed in an F1 World Championship
Event in the preceding 24 months nor tested a Formula One car on more than four days in
the same 24 month period.
b) No competitor may carry out more than 15,000km of track testing during a calendar year.
c) No track testing may take place between the start of the week preceding the first Event of the
Championship and 31 December of the same year.
d) During all track testing cars must be fitted with the FIA ECU required by Article 8.2 of the 2009 FIA
Formula One Technical Regulations.
e) No track testing is permitted at sites which are not currently approved for use by Formula 1 cars. In
order to ensure that venue licence conditions are respected at all times during track testing,
competitors are required to inform the FIA of their test schedule in order that an observer may be
appointed if deemed necessary.

2009 F1 Sport Regulations - FIAquote]
Don't know if my interpretation is correct but item C) appears to ban all track testing from 1 week preceeding the first Event and 31st December of that year?

[nudge1964]

so far as i was aware, friday is not considered to be part of the event , which is why they can use a different engine and gearbox.
It is all a bit of a grey area... in times past, at a test you could run unproven components, such as a new nose that had yet to pass a crash test. Whether they are able to go that far on a friday i wouldnt like to say.
my guess would be that you can run any components that have been through the fia approving process if applicable to that component. This only applies to friday. you cannot use the race as the car will have to be to the same specification after the race as it was at scruteneering.

i think