Williams block Schumacher test request

Michael Schumacher's bid to test drive Ferrari's current car has been blocked by Williams with the Oxfordshire based team citing that "consistency and fairness" with regard to rookie Jaime Alguersuari's arrival into the sport last month was a deciding factor.

Ferrari last week wrote to the FIA and the nine other teams taking part in this seasons Formula 1 world championship requesting that Schumacher be granted a day's testing at the wheel of Ferrari's F60 ahead of the seven time world champions return at the European Grand Prix at the end of the month.

Under current regulations, in-season testing is banned for all F1 teams, drivers and test drivers. However due to Schumacher's lack of test driving following a motor-cycle accident earlier this year, Ferrari were hoping for leniency towards the 40-year-old.

It looked as though things were going Ferrari's and Schumacher's way with the other seven F1 teams giving the green light for a test drive to go ahead.

However a statement from Williams today ended any chance of Schumacher getting into the cockpit of this seasons car until the Valencia race weekend.

"While we welcome Michael Schumacher back to Formula One, the fact is any form of in-season circuit testing is strictly prohibited, a regulation clearly laid out by the FIA and adhered to by all the teams"

"It was for this reason Alguersuari, did not have the oppertunity to familiarise himself with the Torro Rosso before he made his race debut"

"Williams sees no distinction between Alguersuari's situation and Schumacher's and feels any distinction from the rule would create a precedent for the future"

Schumacher will still be allowed to test in the 2007 model of the Ferrari in order to get his body reconditioned to the strains F1 driving demands, however the rest of the German's knowledge of this seasons F60 will have to be learnt in the simulator.

Despite this Schumacher will be returning to the grid without some key knowledge that has caused other teams and drivers problems this season, such as tire ware and how they react in different circumstances, the new aerodynamics of the car and the KERS button.

Will the seven-times world champion be able to get to grips with the new technology that offers an extra boost? Will he even need the extra speed?

Whats your opinion on this decision? Should Schumacher be allowed to test or should he be prepared to get on with it?

Personally, I wouldn't want to see any driver enter a sport that, in recent weeks has proven to be as dangerous as it is, unprepared. However given that Schumacher already has the experience of sixteen seasons under his belt and that rookie Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari participated in his first Formula 1 race last weekend without driving this season's Torro Rosso car, I do think that Williams have a point with their decision to block Ferrari's request.

Put it this way it would be more unfair on Alguersuari and Torro Rosso to allow Schumacher to test drive than the other way round.