Red Bull boss Christian Horner thinks Pirelli should foot the bill if it wants 2017's pre-season testing to take place in Bahrain instead of Barcelona.
The F1 paddock is currently split on where winter testing should take place next year. With big regulation changes set to come into force next year, tyre supplier Pirelli favours Bahrain because its feels the higher temperatures will be more representative of the opening rounds of the season and will help it understand degradation levels of its new, thicker 2017 rubber.
Though the regulations state testing should take place in Europe, world champions Mercedes favour testing in Bahrain. Other teams, led by Red Bull, oppose testing in the desert because of the high costs involved in transporting freight and new parts to the Middle East.
Horner says the onus should be on Pirelli to make the Bahrain test affordable if it is going to lead to better racing in 2017.
"The scenario is very simple really, in that if Pirelli want us to go and test in Bahrain because after all the testing we've done with the cars that we've built and we're running at the moment, then if they want the teams to test for their benefit in a hot climate, then they should contribute to the burden of cost," he said. "Now that ranges from different teams from three hundredths to three quarters of a million pounds depending on your logistics.
"It seems unfair to burden the teams with that when Barcelona in March is a pretty decent venue to go testing at."
Horner is also unsure a test in Bahrain would be that representative of the opening four rounds of 2017.
"Let's not forget the first four races: Melbourne can be pretty chilly, China is certainly pretty cool, Bahrain is a night race and Russia can be on the cooler side.
"Maybe a more sensible solution would be to stay in Bahrain after the race and rather than do the test in Barcelona in-season, do it in Bahrain when everybody's kit and personnel are at that circuit."
When asked when he felt the situation would be a resolution, Horner admitted it could remain undecided until the season finale at the end of November.
"Probably Abu Dhabi. I think they'll be a gathering of the union in Austin to discuss it."
Pre-season testing last took place in Bahrain ahead of the 2014 season, the start of the V6 turbo era, but a change to the rules later that year banned testing from taking place outside Europe, where all the teams are based. Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya was subsequently used for 2015 and 2016.