No F1 testing for Sauber, Pirelli starts 2017 running

London - Sauber will sit out the first in-season test of the 2016 season following the Spanish GP.

The team, openly struggling financially in 2016, said one reason for the decision is because it "will not introduce a car update" in Barcelona.

Next in-season test at British GP

According to a Sauber update on Twitter, "We do not have a young test driver available that fulfils the requirements."

F1 rules say at least two of the four days must be dedicated to young driver testing.

Apart from the post-Spanish GP test in Barcelona, there will only be one more in-season test in 2016, following the British GP in July.

1/2 - Quick news: We cancelled the first in-season test in BCN. There are 2 reasons: 1. We will not introduce a car update at the #SpanishGP

— Sauber F1 Team (@SauberF1Team) May 3, 2016

2/2 … 2. We do not have a young/test driver available that fulfills the requirements #F1

— Sauber F1 Team (@SauberF1Team) May 3, 2016

However, Pirelli has already kicked off its testing programme for the all-new 2017 tyres, with Jean-Eric Vergne running in a 2014 Ferrari at Fiorano.

Revealed Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport: "The test today is the first with a F1 car after Pirelli began testing for 2017 with Pastor Maldonado, who drove a GP2 car at Mugello and Montmelo (Barcelona)."