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Some ideas to increase F1 mileage for young (F2 or F3) drivers


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#1 William Hunt

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Posted 21 September 2022 - 20:47

Well first of all the best way to give young drivers chances is obviously increase the number of teams to 15 (26 in the race, 4 not qualifying) but as the FIA seems fine with current teams blocking out potential competitors (madness) that's unlikely to happen soon with the sharks in charge of the sport.

 

Other ideas:

 

***  - Increase the number of rookie Friday practice testing days to at least 6 instead of 2. Two is ridiculously few opportunities considering we will have 24 GP's next year.

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***  - The teams do 2 full days of Pirelli testing each year. And they use their race drivers for it. Force the teams to use rookie drivers.

This year AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo did 2 days of Pirelli testing at Imola. Ferrari one day at Imola and one at Mugello. Alpine tested one day at Imola, don't know where else they tested.
Red Bull tested a day at the Red Bull ring together with McLaren and a second day in Monza. Don't know where Mercedes testes (Silverstone?).
Haas was the only team who at the beginning of the year said they wouldn't participate (Schmacher did Pirelli test for them last year) but it seems they still might do so in Mexico City.

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In the past (early 2000s) both Michelin, Brigestone and Pirelli acquired a car and hired a driver themselves to test privately:

 

Were hired by Michelin to test for them:

- Max Wilson (Bra) & Tom Kristensen (Den) did Michelin tyre tests for Jaguar in 2000.

- Jörg Müller (Ger) did Michelin tyre testing in a Williams in '99 & 2000 (he was also rumoured as a possible Williams driver for 2000 btw)

- Tom Kristensen (Den) also tested for Michelin in that Williams in 2000

 

Between 2010 & 2012 the following drivers were hired by Pirelli to test tyres for them

- Nick Heidfeld  (Ger) in 2010 in a Toyota

- Romain Grosjean  (Ch / Fra) in 2010 in a Toyota

- Pedro de la Rosa  (Esp)  in 2010 & 2011 in a Toyota

- Luca di Grassi  (Bra) in 2011 in a Toyota and 2012 in a Renault

- Jaime Alguersuari  (Esp) in 2012 in a Renault

 

Were hired by Bridgestone to test for them:

- Aguri Suzuki  (Jap)  1996 in a Arrows Footwork and a Ligier and in 1992 & 1993 in a Tyrrell

- Jos Verstappen  (Ned)  1996 in a Arrows Footwork and a Ligier

- Tarso Marques  (Bra)   1996 in a Arrows Footwork and a Ligier

- Damon Hill  (GB)  1996 in a Ligier

- Christian Danner  (Ger) in 1990 and 1991 in a Reynard (-Mugen) : that F1 car never drove races, Reynard used those tyre test to prepare an F1 entry that never happened. For years Reynard postponed F1 entry, same for Japanese outfit Dome who tested an F1 car a lot (mostly with Apicella behind the wheel but never entered

 

- Marco Appicella  (Ita)  in 1990 in a Reynard (-Mugen)

- Paolo Barilla  (Ita)  in 1989 in a Reynard (--Mugen)

- Heinz-Harald Frentzen  (Ger)  in 1993 in a Tyrrell

- Johnny Herbert  (GB)   in 1993 in a Tyrrell

- Mauro Martini  (Ita)  in  1992, 1993 & 1994 in a Tyrrell

- Volker Weidler  (Ger)  in  1990, 1991 & 1992  in a Tyrrell

 

(The drivers who tested for Dome in 1996 were Marco Apicella (Ita), Michael Krumm (Ger), Naoki Hattori (Jap) & Shinji Nakano (Jap)

 

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*** - Bring back the rookie 2 day test session at the end of the season (it seems that was scrapped in favour of Friday practice which gives rookies actually less total mileage).

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*** - Organise two rookie races (so 22 GP's + 2 rookie GP's with world championship points counting so a rookie could decide the constructor championship with only rookies or drivers with a maximum of 6 races in F1. 



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#2 FirstnameLastname

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Posted 21 September 2022 - 21:02

Give them F1 cars to use in F2 & F3

Sorted.

#3 nivoglibina

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Posted 21 September 2022 - 21:10

Or if you have to have sprint races, make them for rookies only. Would also give more meaning to being a reserve driver if they could participate as well.


Edited by nivoglibina, 21 September 2022 - 21:11.


#4 MKSixer

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Posted 21 September 2022 - 22:15

Or if you have to have sprint races, make them for rookies only. Would also give more meaning to being a reserve driver if they could participate as well.

This combined with, during the European season, sprint races attached to each race for ROOKIES only in a team car AFTER the main race.  Turn the cars around for a 10 car, 25 lap sprint race.  That would give 8 solid chances to see new talent on the continent and give Super License opportunities to the runners.  It would also put pressure on the current SL holders to up their game.  No more Latifi's or their ilk in F1.



#5 ARTGP

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Posted 21 September 2022 - 22:41

I like the sprint race concept for rookies but it wouldn’t be easy because they probably need extra engines, extra chassis, and extra budget to account for rookies making rookie mistakes…

#6 MKSixer

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Posted 21 September 2022 - 23:07

I like the sprint race concept for rookies but it wouldn’t be easy because they probably need extra engines, extra chassis, and extra budget to account for rookies making rookie mistakes…

It should be budget neutral.  Allot X-Dollars for the entire enterprise to be handled by the FIA. After all, it is in the interest of the FIA to continue to provide a viable ladder to the top levels of the sport. What's happening now isn't currently working as demonstrated by the current plight we're in now.  At least 5-6 qualified drivers on the sidelines and Latifi still in a seat.  Ugh.



#7 Clatter

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Posted 22 September 2022 - 10:08

I like the sprint race concept for rookies but it wouldn’t be easy because they probably need extra engines, extra chassis, and extra budget to account for rookies making rookie mistakes…

 


It would be a lot more kit to cart around, but they could use previous years cars.

#8 IrvTheSwerve

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Posted 22 September 2022 - 11:32

Or if you have to have sprint races, make them for rookies only. Would also give more meaning to being a reserve driver if they could participate as well.

I’m sure the F1 teams will love giving their racing cars to rookies to race in anger against other rookies…

 

Recipe for disaster.



#9 PlatenGlass

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Posted 22 September 2022 - 12:55

Give them F1 cars to use in F2 & F3

Sorted.


This would be good, for F2 at least. Have the same rules for F2 cars as for F1 cars. With a single manufacturer (no competition) and lower budget they wouldn't be competitive level F1 cars, but they'd have the same basic characteristics, so an F2 driver could make the step up without having to make do with limited F1 mileage.

In other sports, it's the same all the way up (e.g. you don't have to win at table tennis to become a tennis player). While that would be unrealistic in motorsports, the gap to F1 could still be bridged somewhat.

Edit - Also by having it in F2 rather than just F1 teams giving out testing opportunities, it reduces the gatekeeperness of it.

Edited by PlatenGlass, 22 September 2022 - 13:56.


#10 cjm321190

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Posted 22 September 2022 - 13:06

The already carry the spare car around they just dont build it for work hour rules. Build it and fp1 and 2 can be 3 cars but has to be non starting rookie in the 3rd car. Less testing as the extra car milage can be the offset.

F2 drivers are there mostly anyways

Edited by cjm321190, 22 September 2022 - 13:07.


#11 mclarensmps

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Posted 22 September 2022 - 13:09

Or if you have to have sprint races, make them for rookies only. Would also give more meaning to being a reserve driver if they could participate as well.

You know what, I really like that idea.

If we have sprint races, it should be rookies only (I don't even think the professional reserves such as Hulkenberg would qualify), and officially, the teams would only get manufacturer points.

I would definitely be way more interested in sprints if this happened.  :up:



#12 RedRabbit

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Posted 22 September 2022 - 13:15

Just make FP1 sessions for the reserve/test driver, who is normally a junior anyway.

And least 1 day of each pre-season test should be for the reserve/test driver. Or even flip that, and only allow 1 day each for the race drivers and the rest for the test/reserve 😁

#13 FirstnameLastname

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Posted 22 September 2022 - 16:15

I was joking with the ‘give them F1 cars’ comment… but maybe they could run 2yr old F1 cars or whatever?

#14 FirstnameLastname

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Posted 22 September 2022 - 16:16

As well as the mandatory FP1 sessions… have mandatory races where each driver has to drop 2 Grand Prix each year.

#15 PlatenGlass

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Posted 22 September 2022 - 16:48

I was joking with the ‘give them F1 cars’ comment… but maybe they could run 2yr old F1 cars or whatever?

I mean yeah, I was joking too. 😬

#16 Sterzo

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Posted 22 September 2022 - 16:53

Maybe we should have 24 F1 races per annum, eighteen for the World Championship and six for no championship points with different drivers.



#17 Clatter

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Posted 22 September 2022 - 16:55

The already carry the spare car around they just dont build it for work hour rules. Build it and fp1 and 2 can be 3 cars but has to be non starting rookie in the 3rd car. Less testing as the extra car milage can be the offset.

F2 drivers are there mostly anyways

 


They don't have a spare car as a cost saving measure, nothing to do with work hours.

#18 William Hunt

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Posted 22 September 2022 - 22:55

Maybe we should have 24 F1 races per annum, eighteen for the World Championship and six for no championship points with different drivers.

 

Good idea, that's what I was thinking but I would give them championship points for it. We haven't had a non championship race since 1983 though (Race of Champions, Brands Hatch)



#19 Claymore25

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Posted 23 September 2022 - 01:13

But the problem would be if countries elected to be rookies or F2 driver would want to be used like that.

 

The sprint race with only rookies using a spare car in a ten car race is a better idea.



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#20 absinthedude

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Posted 23 September 2022 - 08:30

Good idea, that's what I was thinking but I would give them championship points for it. We haven't had a non championship race since 1983 though (Race of Champions, Brands Hatch)

 

Unless you count the Bologna races which continued to 1989 or 1990



#21 William Hunt

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Posted 25 September 2022 - 23:28

Unless you count the Bologna races which continued to 1989 or 1990

 
They weren't really races because it was each time a time duel between two drivers acting as knock out rounds. 

 

It was actually from 1988 until 1993 and then again twice in '94 & '95.

https://en.wikipedia...e_Indoor_Trophy


Edited by William Hunt, 25 September 2022 - 23:30.


#22 ANF

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Posted 26 September 2022 - 00:12

So Johnny Carwash made it to the final in 1996...