Does anyone know when the first test will be after this years final race is it true there is non until feb 2010?

Don't know if any dates have been set yet, but serious testing cannot start until the new year. The teams can do 3 one day tests for young drivers before the new year, no idea if any are planned.

If you don't mind me hijacking your thread: When can drivers test for their new teams?

Not until the new year.

They can do 3 one day tests between the last race of the season and december 31st, exclusively for drivers with less than 2 F1 races.

And they can do up to 15000Km of tests with regular drivers from January 1st until 1 week before the first race in 2010.

I believe most teams are targeting an early (first week) January 2010 car launch with testing starting in earnest in the second week of January

yep, as above.
January.

Sebastian Loeb will be in those tests I'd say.
No doubt Nico Hulkenburg will be testing for Williams, and Bruno Senna will be certainly looking for seat-time somewhere.

Any other young drivers/ racers from other disciplines being talked about?

Probably January.

I think the 3 day tests have to be in December, no testing is permitted between the last race and the 1st of December.

No. Tests start in earnest in February.

There will be some testing prior to that, but only with drivers who have done no more than 2 F1 races.

This will be an extremely boring off-season.

Nope, it's from the last event to the end of the year.

What about straight line tests?

Nope. 8 straight line tests are allowed between 1st of Jan and the last event.

Luckily there are still 20+ race seats still available for next season, which should keep us a little interested. But otherwise, yeah, it will be extremely dull.

No, as I said they get 3 one day tests for new drivers during December.

You should perhaps consult the rule book then, because that doesnt agree with you.

ii) three one day young driver training tests carried out between the end of the last Event of the Championship and 31 December of the same year, any such driver having not competed in more than two F1 World Championship Events

My appologies Clatter, I read your previous post as saying no testing was allowed between the last race and the end of the year.

according to the tsl timing website

there is not testing this year at all scheduled....so until next year there is nothing in the offseason.

Looks like it.

the first actual test is Feb 1 to Feb 3 in Valencia (I believe). Other than that there will be young driver tests in early December.

What a loong winter that will be