Daniil Kvyat has slammed Formula 1's potential plan to cut pre-season testing, the Toro Rosso driver arguing that a reduction will only underscore the importance of simulator work.
A probable expansion of the 2020 F1 calendar to 22 races has incited the sport's chiefs to probe teams on a potential reduction of winter testing as a means of lessening the overall burden on crews.
Barcelona will remain the venue of choice for pre-season testing next year, but with a single five-day test week now considered, or perhaps six days spread over two weeks.
Kvyat is against the idea of cutting back on testing however, insisting the move will only enhance the importance of simulation work.
"I disagree with that [idea] completely, to be honest, because we already have too little testing," Kvyat said, quoted by Motorsport.com.
"I mean, we should do more real driving, rather than simulator driving. I 100 percent disagree with that.
"What we are doing now is a minimum from a driver point of view. I am not too keen to drive in a simulator, I'd rather do a lot more test days and travel even [more].
"This is not the way Formula 1 should be. We should be driving. This is the only sport where we practice so little outside the racing weekend.
"Maybe I am not saying [it needs to be] as much as it was in the past with free testing, but we shouldn't get less than now, I think."
Newly promoted Red Bull Racing charger Alex Albon is on the same page as his former teammate, especially in the case of young drivers who really need to put extensive mileage under their belt.
"I think it’s the wrong way, to be honest. I know we’ve got budget cuts and everything like that but you also have to respect rookies, I think," Albon said.
"In the end it has to be for cost reasons, which I kind of understand, but the big teams, when they’re not testing, then they invest the money in software, et cetera, and they’ll always spend the money elsewhere to develop simulations to simulate testing.
"So I kind of understand the reason but I wouldn’t wish anyone to be a rookie and to only do that amount of testing."
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