Daniil Kvyat believes the planned reduction in testing in Formula 1 is wrong, and he believes the sport should be going the other way to enable more on-track running rather than simulator driving.
With an increased twenty-two race calendar set to be announced in the coming weeks, Formula 1 bosses are looking at possibly cutting down on the amount of testing, with the current schedule allowing for eight days during pre-season and then a pair of two-day tests whilst the season is underway.
Kvyat, who was overlooked for a return to Red Bull Racing this week in favour of Scuderia Toro Rosso team-mate Alexander Albon despite scoring more of the team’s points in 2019 so far, feels there is not enough testing opportunities out there for drivers, with the amount of running at present, he feels is, the minimum they should be doing.
“I disagree with that completely, to be honest, because we already have too little testing,” Kvyat is quoted as saying 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. This is not the way Formula 1 should be.
“We should be driving. Sport should be about… this is the only sport where we practice so little outside the racing weekend. Maybe I am not saying as much as it was in the past with free testing, but we shouldn’t get less than now, I think.”
Kvyat believes there should be an increase to something between ‘sixteen and twenty’ days of testing per year rather than the twelve they currently have, but his main request is to have more driving a real car as opposed to driving in the simulator.
“But then also the amount of races will increase next year, so it goes a bit against it, but then maybe simulator should be reduced or something,” said Kvyat. “I don’t know.
“But me as a driver I would rather so much more drive the real car on a real track, than do this simulator job. No way!”
