The decision by Lotus to skip the first pre-season Formula 1 test in Spain at the end of January will put them at a disadvantage to other teams, new Sauber signing Adrian Sutil has said. He is not alone in believing that the first test of the 2014 season is more important than ever.

The 30-year-old driver told Reuters in a telephone interview from Switzerland that, with a new engine and major technical changes for 2014, teams needed all the track time that they could get.

“I think real testing at the moment is what we need (and not simulator work) because you can’t simulate everything,” he said of click here for more