Feeder Formula Series - is a revolution needed?
#1
Posted 12 July 2015 - 12:08
I have always the feeling that this is the perfect way to resolve the financial problems the Formula feeder series have and to have more competition because currently you can choose between WSBR and GP2 and between F3 and GP3, which causes that not the best young drivers are competing against each other.
Could it be the solution to install F3 and F2 instead of GP2 and GP3 in the support programme of F1 and give them more air time especially in the free tv together with the F1 programm which can benefit them financially as much as the Moto 2 and Moto 3 are benefiting from the Moto GP? Furthermore to defunc the other series to keep the competition on a high level? And just instal national F4 series like they already have done?
What is your thought on this topic? Is it better if all - after taking part in national series - are driving in the same series to take the measure against the best fellow young drivers? Or should it stay like it is? And should the support series get more attention (get uprate) which could help them financially?
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#2
Posted 12 July 2015 - 12:33
The problem I have with the current feeder series is the sheer wastage of talent.
MotoGP riders like Iannone can float around in feeder series for 8 years and still get a chance to prove themselves in a half decent ride. In F1, if you haven't won a title in like two seasons, you never even get a sniff of a drive. People like Max get lifted from basically nowhere at all into F1 drives. In the case of MotoGP, winning the Moto3 title and then going on to Moto2 for a few years isn't shameful, every champion goes through both of those categories for one season at the very least.
I think rolling GP2/3 into the fold like FIM does with the motorcycles is the best possible way of doing it. I honestly think it's stupid we are rapidly approaching the point where drivers in their teens driving in literally dominate the drivers joining the top series on earth.
#3
Posted 12 July 2015 - 12:38
The problem I have with the current feeder series is the sheer wastage of talent.
MotoGP riders like Iannone can float around in feeder series for 8 years and still get a chance to prove themselves in a half decent ride. In F1, if you haven't won a title in like two seasons, you never even get a sniff of a drive. People like Max get lifted from basically nowhere at all into F1 drives. In the case of MotoGP, winning the Moto3 title and then going on to Moto2 for a few years isn't shameful, every champion goes through both of those categories for one season at the very least.
I think rolling GP2/3 into the fold like FIM does with the motorcycles is the best possible way of doing it. I honestly think it's stupid we are rapidly approaching the point where drivers in their teens driving in literally dominate the drivers joining the top series on earth.
Yep, agree. But then with the current franchise approach to F1 (so nobody dilutes the brand...) there aren't enough seats to go round. I'd love the return of full grids and pre-qualifying personally.
#4
Posted 12 July 2015 - 13:04
FIA already tried to make the "revolution"
At the end of the day GP2 and GP3 are Bernie so they stay with F1.
Formula 2 (failed the first recent attempt), Formula 3 and Formula 4 are FIA... so FIA heavily promote those whether other people like them or not. However due to the above, they cannot appear at F1 meetings.
Where does that leave Formula Ford, Formula Renault, Renault World Series and AutoGP!?? - Well it's a joke!!!
#5
Posted 12 July 2015 - 13:06
I think rolling GP2/3 into the fold like FIM does with the motorcycles is the best possible way of doing it. I honestly think it's stupid we are rapidly approaching the point where drivers in their teens driving in literally dominate the drivers joining the top series on earth.
Gp2 and GP3 are private championships linked to Bernie and NOT FIA championships....
FIA would prefer Formula 2 and Formula 3 to race on F1 meetings, with Formula 4 at the national level. (IMO Formula 4 is rubbish, I prefer the traditional Formula Ford.)
It's a schmozzle any way you look at it!
#6
Posted 12 July 2015 - 13:08
Is it better if all - after taking part in national series - are driving in the same series to take the measure against the best fellow young drivers?
of course that would be ideal BUT....
You can be the one to tell Renault that their World Series is being forcibly closed down by the FIA!!!
There just is not a way to close down superflous championships without stepping on people's toes.........
Already there is a NASTY, BITTER divide between FIA's Formula Four and traditional Formula Ford at the national level
#7
Posted 12 July 2015 - 13:19
FIA already tried to make the "revolution"
At the end of the day GP2 and GP3 are Bernie so they stay with F1.
Formula 2 (failed the first recent attempt), Formula 3 and Formula 4 are FIA... so FIA heavily promote those whether other people like them or not. However due to the above, they cannot appear at F1 meetings.
Where does that leave Formula Ford, Formula Renault, Renault World Series and AutoGP!?? - Well it's a joke!!!
Pretty much anyone can be on an F1 weekend if you pay the enormous fees. Wtf do you think Porsche Supercup is there?
#8
Posted 12 July 2015 - 13:23
Moto GP is used as an example, and IMO it is the correct method. The most important thing is that there should be only one path into a Formula One drive.
But unfortunately there are multiple feeder series, and that spreads the talent and finances around. In Moto GP there is a very clear progression, 3, then 2, then 1. All of the top riders go down this path, and so does the money.
Both NASCAR and Indycar have very specific paths also. Almost every top NASCAR drivers does the Truck Series, then the Busch series before moving up to the premier series. The drivers gain valuable experience, they get to showcase their skills, and with each series, the competition and money gets better. The same with Indycar, they have a specific feeder series, the Indy Lights.
#9
Posted 12 July 2015 - 13:47
Pretty much anyone can be on an F1 weekend if you pay the enormous fees.
Exactly so there is an absurd multiplication with GP2/GP3 and Formula 3/Formula 2 (FIA plans to reintroduce Formula 2 again according to their superlicense specifications). Ridiculous.
#10
Posted 12 July 2015 - 13:48
Mr Stonefeld... You raced Formula Palmer Audi back in the day.
I presume you would have preferred to race a simple, logical Formula 3 or Formula 2?
#11
Posted 12 July 2015 - 22:24
The most important thing is that there should be only one path into a Formula One drive.
I don't agree. I'd prefer F1 to have the widest talent pool possible.
#12
Posted 13 July 2015 - 00:14
#13
Posted 13 July 2015 - 00:43
I don't agree. I'd prefer F1 to have the widest talent pool possible.
You can do that without having a messy soup of junior series below F1 (drivers used to come from DTM, sportscars etc). The teams now like to pick kids that run in high downforce formula cars.
Edited by Prost1997T, 13 July 2015 - 00:44.
#14
Posted 13 July 2015 - 13:22
From the point of view of driver development, it would be better to have a regionalised structure of low cost, spec, teamless championships, run along the lines of the now-defunct F2. So you could have the FIA F2 World Championship at the top of the pile, as the accepted feeder category to F1, with national or regional F2 championships feeding into that, and F4 championships feeding into national or regional F2. It would have the benefit of being cheaper than what we have now, so not filtering nearly as many drivers out of the system on the basis of funds rather than merit, and the teamless structure would mean the cream would rise to the top.
Unfortunately, when it came back under MSV's management, F2 had a very hard time competing against other championships at a similar level. It was much cheaper than the alternatives, but it was viewed with disdain by a lot of drivers because of the teamless structure, even though it was actually a much more meritocratic structure than one generally finds in motorsport. The current structure of the single seater ladder works quite well for identifying the best drivers that bring the most backing, with ability and backing being of roughly equal importance if you want to succeed, and that's what a lot of F1 teams are looking for. And even amongst teams that aren't looking for drivers with backing, they're happy to pick up kids when they're still in karts and bankroll them through the system via their driver development programs. That's why there's no room for the purely meritocratic system described above.