"Formula 1 storing up a big problem for itself in five years time" - James Allen

you need a certain mentality to shine in f1, good f1 drivers often suck in other catagories like dtm.

the more alarming prospect is the pyramid under f1 full of guys paying a fortune hoping to get to f1 and be a paid racing driver, and we dont have many spots that arent bringing money do we ?

Edited by pingu666, 27 September 2012 - 19:29.

the more alarming prospect is the pyramid under f1 full of guys paying a fortune hoping to get to f1 and be a paid racing driver, and we dont have many spots that arent bringing money do we ?

Indeed. The financial ruination of competitors who do not quite make it, and sometimes their families, does the sport no credit.

Is there going to be F1 as we know it today in five years? 2020 could be the end to F1 in more ways than one, assuming we get the next one signed to begin with. Situation is not fine, and its financial imbalances are doubtful as sustainable for very long. You can build new tracks and invest billions, only to lose contract soon after, however travelling around the globe to find more suckers can last only for so long, as there is finite number of places to go, and people have long memory. You can go further and further, and one day you arrive where you have begun, only to find door closed.

Drivers or lack of having them is last of our worries, if you get the priorities straight. Proper governance is far more higher up IMO.

When Valsecchi wins GP2 you know you have a problem.

At the end of the day the current generation is a huge golden generation, we are being spoilt here when you look at the history of F1 in terms of the quality available. It's inevitable that this will come to an end, but there's always going to be top notch drivers in F1, maybe not as much as there is now, but like I said, now is not the norm.

More or less what I was thinking when I read the article. When the press were drawing parallels for the five world champs on the grid in 2011 it was no coincidence they had to go back to the 80s to find the last time there were five 'top' drivers in the fight. We've usually have two or at most three stand-out drivers fighting for the title so we're really spoiled right now.

It's the testing ban I agree with him about. Maybe the teams could chip in and fund another two Pirelli test cars and take turns putting their own young drivers in them to get mileage whenever Pirelli run a test? Alguersuari got 700kms this year I read on Autosport, and that'd be priceless to a newbie coming up from GP2. So long as they all had a go then each team would have the same limited feedback from their driver and it'd be fair.

Talent always gets through does it? Tell that to the kid who's dad can't afford to race KF3 at 250k a year age 12.

What is being asked of a driver is from the age of 8-21 to earn approximately £5,000,000 ... it's just impossible. Go to any big kart meet or car meet and you'll see a car park lined with Mercs, Ferraris, Astons etc... It's all fine but as long as the sport is honest about how it really works.

Talent doesn't always get through. Agree with you 100%. In this sport, money = seat time / race experience. Talent + seat time = skill. The sport as a whole has gotten exponentially more expensive over the years.

Right now the future F1 drivers are going to be the top 1% of the top 1% of income earners.

OTOH, some countries (finland, brazil) have govt-supported "driver funds" to help reduce the load.

But yeah no question, this is a millionaire's sport now more than anytime else, more so than during the "gentlemen" days.

Economic crisis probably had something to do with it as well - marketing/sponsor money largely dried up so driver burden went up.

Poor article I thought.

Alonso/Hamilton's are the exceptions not the norm. Hamilton did GP2 just like the others, he had no practice in F1 car as a test driver, he went straight in only practicing on a simulator. All teams have a simulator to practice on.
Vettel was lucky he didn't have to waste time doing a GP2 season and was able to be BMW F1 Test Driver and learn at STR in F1 instead of GP2.

poor post I thought. I mean, really? no practice in f1 car? the most prepared rookie of all time had no practice in f1 car?
and I haven't even reacted on the lucky Vettel part...

When Valsecchi wins GP2 you know you have a problem.

That's what they said about Maldonado....

James Allen? Meh.

F1 has always cost money, so maybe in the future a little more who knows? life is always less hard for the rich, what else is new. This is a bit doomsaying article though.

Talent is pretty relative in this sport so even if the future "talents" will suck compared to current standards there's no way you'd really know. Heck Alonso and Hamilton might be 2 posers compared to all the drivers from the 50's. Sure we can make educated guesses but you never truely know. Pay-drivers can be genuinely good or bad but going by the idea that teams all want to win in F1 the better drivers will float upwards eventually, it just might take a bit more time.

And let's face it we rather have a mass of pay-drivers than F1 and the rest of motorsport dying.