Vasseur points to two factors in rejection of increased private testing

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur does not believe Formula 1 should return to unlimited private testing under the cost cap regulations, pointing to two factors.

Grand Prix squads were previously able to run unlimited private in-season testing - and even had dedicated test teams but this was banned in a bid to limit costs.

Since 2014, in-season testing was reintroduced after a handful of Grands Prix, including the Abu Dhabi finale with teams also taking part in Pirelli tyre testing to aid their development.

Aside from these limited opportunities, the only other way squads can run their car for the year outside of a race weekend is in their two allocated filming days -which are limited to 100km and are often used as shakedowns before pre-season testing.

When asked if a relaxation of the private testing ban was something to consider under the cost cap, Vasseur rejected the idea.

Pirelli crucial factor

"If you stay with the current budget cap, it would be more than difficult to reintroduce tests, because the cost of the test is mega," Vasseur told media including RacingNews365.

"If you start to do the testing, you will have to produce two times as many engines, have tons of mileage - in one test day you are doing the mileage of a [grand prix] weekend, and that means if you do 20 test days, it is another season in terms of parts.

"But it was true for us [in 2023] that when you are struggling, the fact that you have no test days at all, it is very difficult to come back - and it is also very difficult to come back when the correlation between the simulator, wind-tunnel and the track is not always mega.

"With the cost cap, I think it is impossible to reintroduce the testing - we could discuss about one or two sessions, but don't forget that in parallel, we have the Pirelli test days, and we are doing a lot for Pirelli.

"When you have a look on the calendar, it is not just about the races, we have three or four sessions for Pirelli test days, and when you have to find a slot for the Pirelli tests, you say: 'It's already a lot.'"