new guys to F1

[gt4 carlos/NG]

Hi all, i'm new to the site obviously, and was prompted to by my colleagues,

I had put the question to them about what was the best way to develop young guns into f1. ok Kobayashi and Lewis show some can just arrive and drive at top level, but we’ve seen some guys like Romain Grosjean fail terribly because of lack of testing time, Should they allow new guys to have some test time to familiarise them selves or? What do you think?

[Born Racer]

Hey there, and welcome.

I think the total lack of testing is an extreme supposed 'cost-cutting' device, and is to the detriment of young drivers.

Your example of Grosjean in my opinion is actually a bit wide of the mark, because I don't think he disgraced himself, and a lot see him as having been very poor. They don't seem to be taking into account the skill of his team-mate, nor the way Renault was centred around him. However, he did have to find the limit in the public eye rather than hammering round the Circuit de Catalunya with less attention, and so all his many spins were in public, thus making him look dodgier than he may be.

Kobayashi has sort of raised the bar in these times of no testing as to how well a newcomer can do. This led me to wonder how useful simulators are getting for 'driver practice' now rather than just as accurate barometers of how to set up the car for a given track. Simulator development will help young drivers, but why should it be in place of testing completely.

It seems odd that you get to the pinnacle of the sport and can't test in some of the most challenging cars, whereas you can do more in 'easier' junior categories (although does GP2 not have quite tight testing restrictions now?).

I'd like to see more testing so that these drivers aren't doing all their tough practice in front of the public, and can get on with racing with a bit of practice under their belt, then being more in a position to be justifiably criticised if they are very poor. It is nice for cars to not always be so perfected before a GP, so like many I advocate testing with newcomers or specified test drivers to be carried out, and then after a certain number of GPs, your testing time is more restricted.

[strider]

Two points, one of which is repetition. If you want to see the sort of CV a driver should be providing as an F1 rookie, look at Nico Hülkenberg.

Secondly, I would very much be in favour of allowing young drivers to take part in Friday test sessions. I guess it might have to be in a third car, so space might be an issue, but otherwise it would be most-effective for the teams.

[Born Racer]

They could make space, and they have all that equipment there, so why not use it?

[Burnsie]

Welcome to Ten Tenths

I agree with the points raised above. When F1 entered into its cost-cutting regime, testing time wasn't exactly "trimmed" - it was decapitated. Surely in a sport which boats about being the pinnacle of motorsport, the competing teams should be given more than the current amount of testing time. As for new drivers to F1, in my view it should be compulsory for them to undertake a minimum amount of testing before being allowed to race.

Originally Posted by strider

...I would very much be in favour of allowing young drivers to take part in Friday test sessions. I guess it might have to be in a third car, so space might be an issue, but otherwise it would be most-effective for the teams.

Then take a leaf out of A1GP's book (before the book is closed completely - but that's for another thread) and dedicate a practice session for rookies only. It's a great way to promote new talent, and it allows up-and-coming drivers to make a name for themselves with the teams; and should one of the first drivers be unavailable for a race, a team could call upon one of their rookies to fill in for him. There should't be a need to introduce a third car for this, and it won't have any bearing on the running of the event (unless one of the rookies mangles the car of course). Just a thought.

[strider]

Originally Posted by Burnsie

Then take a leaf out of A1GP's book (before the book is closed completely - but that's for another thread) and dedicate a practice session for rookies only. It's a great way to promote new talent, and it allows up-and-coming drivers to make a name for themselves with the teams; and should one of the first drivers be unavailable for a race, a team could call upon one of their rookies to fill in for him. There should't be a need to introduce a third car for this, and it won't have any bearing on the running of the event (unless one of the rookies mangles the car of course). Just a thought.

Sounds like a good plan. Instead of having two 90 minute sessions on Friday, they could have three 60 minute sessions, with the rookies taking to to the track first.

I suppose the track would be at its most green then, but the teams sit around for at least 30 of the 90 minutes, so the race drivers wouldn't be losing much.

[Marbot]

Sending out the 'Rookies' to do a bit of 'track sweeping' could be the thing to do.

Also in favour of testing on Mondays after the GPs, but we should remember that currently there is a mileage limit on testing that may have to be revised.