The pay driver "situation" in Formula 1 is being pictured escathologically as a disaster of the era, the end of the category as we know it. Even Martin Whitmarsh, the McLaren chief who should know better, seems to be blowing the thing out of proportion.
First of all, paying drivers always existed in Formula 1, and always will exist, in one fashion or another. Years ago, they came mostly in the form of privateers, drivers who bought and run their own cars on real shoestring budgets, because they did not attract the attention of works teams. Then, when commercial sponsorship came into full force in the 70s (which, by the way, killed the privateers) the teams down the ladder continued to rent seats in their cars to anyone who could bring a few thousand dollars. As a matter of fact, a large number of drivers who raced in Formula 1 in the 70s were paying drivers of one sort or another, and I could list dozens. Nelson Piquet and Niki Lauda began their F1 careers renting drives. Even Brabham, which was a well financed team, employed pay driver Hector Rebaque in its championship year, 1981. The list goes on.
The pay drivers continued to exist, although now, sometimes it looks like the driver is not a pay driver. Do the math - if you bring (or attract) 5 million dollars to a team's budget, and the team pays you US$500,000, then by definition you are a pay driver, even though you earn a salary!!!
So don't come with this "pay driver" crisis concept, it does not exist in my mind.
The situation seems "out of hand", because now the two weakest teams in Formula 1 - Marussia and Caterham - are all made up of pay drivers, and to make room for such drivers, they had to let go of two drivers who do deserve to be in Formula 1, Heikki Kovalainen and Timo Glock. Matters are made worse because a third "new team", HRT, finally foundered.
To me, the situation improved from last year, when one of the more traditional teams, Williams, employed a driver, Bruno Senna, who brought a sizable chunk of money, so he was a pay driver, whether one likes it or not. He has been replaced by Bottas, a Finnish driver who does not bring a cent to the team, I reckon.
One driver who some considered a pay driver, Sergio Perez, who attracted Carlos Slim`s money to the Sauber team, almost won two races, is now a Mclaren driver and yesterday posted the fastest time in pre-season testing. His placed is taken by Gutierrez, who some also consider a pay driver(!) and some reckon Gutierrez is even faster than Perez. Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado, the mother of all pay drivers of the age, often frequented the first slots of the grid and won a race on speed! Something that seven-time, 93-race winning driver Michael Schumacher did not come even close to do...
On the other hand, let us be honest. What good would it be for Glock or Kovalainen or Kobayashi to continue in Formula 1 racing for thirteenth place and shooting for tenth place in the constructor's championship with zero points?
The real sad thing, Mr. Whitmarsh, is that Formula 1, with all its glamour, brains, talent, money and popularity, has failed to produce 22 competitive entries. The teams at the bottom of the time sheets are glorified jokes. The whims of the Caterham and Marussia teams stem from the fact that they are very slow backmarkers, who are unable to attract good sponsorship. Thus drivers like Glock, Kovalainen and Kobayashi have to be out of Formula 1, possibly forever.
Perhaps it is about time we talk about 3-car teams again, huh?
Carlos de Paula is a translator, writer and auto racing historian based in Miami
First of all, paying drivers always existed in Formula 1, and always will exist, in one fashion or another. Years ago, they came mostly in the form of privateers, drivers who bought and run their own cars on real shoestring budgets, because they did not attract the attention of works teams. Then, when commercial sponsorship came into full force in the 70s (which, by the way, killed the privateers) the teams down the ladder continued to rent seats in their cars to anyone who could bring a few thousand dollars. As a matter of fact, a large number of drivers who raced in Formula 1 in the 70s were paying drivers of one sort or another, and I could list dozens. Nelson Piquet and Niki Lauda began their F1 careers renting drives. Even Brabham, which was a well financed team, employed pay driver Hector Rebaque in its championship year, 1981. The list goes on.
The pay drivers continued to exist, although now, sometimes it looks like the driver is not a pay driver. Do the math - if you bring (or attract) 5 million dollars to a team's budget, and the team pays you US$500,000, then by definition you are a pay driver, even though you earn a salary!!!
So don't come with this "pay driver" crisis concept, it does not exist in my mind.
The situation seems "out of hand", because now the two weakest teams in Formula 1 - Marussia and Caterham - are all made up of pay drivers, and to make room for such drivers, they had to let go of two drivers who do deserve to be in Formula 1, Heikki Kovalainen and Timo Glock. Matters are made worse because a third "new team", HRT, finally foundered.
To me, the situation improved from last year, when one of the more traditional teams, Williams, employed a driver, Bruno Senna, who brought a sizable chunk of money, so he was a pay driver, whether one likes it or not. He has been replaced by Bottas, a Finnish driver who does not bring a cent to the team, I reckon.
One driver who some considered a pay driver, Sergio Perez, who attracted Carlos Slim`s money to the Sauber team, almost won two races, is now a Mclaren driver and yesterday posted the fastest time in pre-season testing. His placed is taken by Gutierrez, who some also consider a pay driver(!) and some reckon Gutierrez is even faster than Perez. Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado, the mother of all pay drivers of the age, often frequented the first slots of the grid and won a race on speed! Something that seven-time, 93-race winning driver Michael Schumacher did not come even close to do...
On the other hand, let us be honest. What good would it be for Glock or Kovalainen or Kobayashi to continue in Formula 1 racing for thirteenth place and shooting for tenth place in the constructor's championship with zero points?
The real sad thing, Mr. Whitmarsh, is that Formula 1, with all its glamour, brains, talent, money and popularity, has failed to produce 22 competitive entries. The teams at the bottom of the time sheets are glorified jokes. The whims of the Caterham and Marussia teams stem from the fact that they are very slow backmarkers, who are unable to attract good sponsorship. Thus drivers like Glock, Kovalainen and Kobayashi have to be out of Formula 1, possibly forever.
Perhaps it is about time we talk about 3-car teams again, huh?
Carlos de Paula is a translator, writer and auto racing historian based in Miami
Comments
Post a Comment