Webber and Alonso disagree over Friday mileage

[John S]

 
09 testing rule changes lead to differing opinions over Friday practice. My money is on Webber anyone else got a view?

Two Formula One race drivers have expressed starkly different opinions about how Grand Prix weekends will be affected by the new in-season testing ban.

While Mark Webber believes teams and drivers will use ‘every available minute’ of official practice, double world champion Fernando Alonso thinks Fridays will be even quieter than usual in 2009.

"Fridays will be totally different because of the lack of test kilometres," Australian Webber told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"Even if the track is green, we will use every available minute," he explained. "We'll need any information we can get about the setup with the new cars."

Webber said simulators can be used to develop new car components, which can then be validated in Friday practice, even if thorough in-season comparative tests of parts will be a thing of the past. "The best reliability test will be Sundays," he said. 
 
Renault's Alonso, however, has an opposing view, telling Formule 1 Race Report that Friday practice will be ‘too late’ to determine if a new part should or should not be debuted.

"If a team is testing new things on a Friday then I consider that to be panicking," the Spaniard told the Dutch magazine.

"Fridays are just to check if everything is working, to prepare for qualifying and the race," Alonso added.

"In the most extreme case, on Friday you make some setup changes, but also because of the engine rules, I do not expect drivers to do many laps."

It should be noted that as was the case in 2008, Friday practice is deemed to be a ‘free’ session and therefore engine mileage should - in theory - not be an issue.

E.A, Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International 

[Scott]

Now that Charlie has clarified the engine rules (that Friday engines are included in the total number allowed), I expect it will be closer to Alonzo's point of view.