Teams urge Ferrari to play fair over testing

Ferrari's rivals have repeated a call for the Formula One champions to limit their testing for the good of the sport.

The nine teams, in a statement at the Malaysian GP yesterday, expressed dismay that Ferrari had refused to join them in self-imposed restrictions and indeed planned to do more testing than ever.

As an example, the unsigned statement referred to the running of Ferrari's 2005 car at the Mugello circuit in Italy on Thursday. In the past teams have agreed not to test in the week of a grand prix.

"Ferrari's actions not only potentially destabilise Formula One and increase costs but also provide Ferrari with an unequal advantage over all other teams," the statement said.

"Inevitably, such actions on the part of Ferrari can only increase costs within Formula One and undermine the principle of a 'level playing field' in the sport.

"The nine teams are requesting that Ferrari now reconsiders its position and acts in a responsible manner to support this valuable cost-saving initiative," the statement said.

Ferrari's rivals have agreed to do no more than 30 days of testing during the season, a commitment that Ferrari have refused to consider.

The Italian team, winners of the last six constructors' championships, have their own test circuits and have run in the past at three separate venues on the same day.

Seven teams

They argue that restrictions would play into the hands of rivals since Michelin have seven teams to test their tyres whereas Bridgestone rely on Ferrari.

"We wanted to find a solution and we don't want to be at odds with our fellow teams," said Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn.

"We tried to offer some compromises but they weren't acceptable to the other teams and their compromises were not acceptable to us. It's an unfortunate situation."