|
This morning on Facebook a copy of the 1980 Formula Ford Festival programme has been posted. A displayed page gives names of 15 of the top drivers fancied that year for Festival honours. None of the drivers are in their teens including Ayrton Senna who was already 21. Yet many of them went onto greater things and a third of them made it to F1. These days they would all be considered too old!
Naturally I am biased here as a parent of a driver who is just a few months over the age limit currently set at under 22 for January 2012. But we have run up against this before. At 21 Scott was told he was too old to be considered by Racing Steps Foundation even though strangely knowing his age they eveluated him putting him through written on line tests, a simulator assessment, fitness test and interview.
As an earlier poster points out this is, like it or not, AGE discrimination! Frankly to be considered over the hill in your early 20's is a joke. Damon Hill didn't race a car until he was 23, didnt make to F3 until he was 26, then F1 at 33 and was World Champion at 36 and that is just one example of many that I could point out. I know it wouldn't happen today!
But let's not be churlish here. I realise Scott has already had two bites of the cherry and is privileged and grateful to have done so. It ranks among the best experieneces of his short but successful motor racing career. By all means have a rule that a driver is only eligible to be selected on two occasions, I think that is fair enough; but to be written off because of an arbitary age limit which seems to be decreasing on a sliding scale from earlier years of the competition is a bitter pill!
Good luck to all the 2012 finalists whoever they may be. Looks like they are all going to have first time finalists this year. Enjoy every moment of a great experience which is wonderful.
Dominic Malvern
|