When is Young too Young

[marcus]

yesterday i was watching a racing show and they did a story on a young driver in the New Zealand Formula Ford championship.

His name was Matthew Radisich..yes thats right matthew is the nephew of former BTCC driver and current v8 supercar driver Paul Radisich.

Now i missed the start of the story and didnt catch how old matthew was but he was very young..but did very well in front of the camera.
he has very good sponsorship from mcDonalds and apparently is doing very well.

OK nice little story ..but one line in the story caught my attention..New Zealand have lowered the age of obtaining a full racing lisense to the age of 12..yes thats right ..now a 12 year old can get his racing lisense and go and buy a formula Ford and race against everybody else.

Am I the only one that thinks this is totally crazy ????
I mean a 12 year old should still be punting around in a go kart let alone being let loose on a full blown race track.

Lets take the jenson button case as an example..formula Ford, then formula 3 and then onto formula one..now if a 12 year old was exceptionally good does this mean by the time he is 15 or 16 he could be driving for Frank Williams ???

Ok maybe a bit over the top but it makes an interesting talking topic at least.

i think this is way to young..i remember years ago an Australian driver applied to get his racing lisense at the age of 14 to race formula Vee..this worked out well for him as he went on to be Australian Formula Ford champion and GTP champion in a Porsche and now is in V8 supercars (Cameron McConville)
but 12 to me just seems way to young to be drivving a car at full race speeds.

what do you guys think ???

[Happy Hippo]

"If he's good enough he's old enough" Thats what Pele said about Michael Owen (this is soccer people ).
So I think it also goes for autosport BUT if you're really good and talented why not take it easy, follow every step on the ladder. Talent doesn't just disappear. Besides experience never hurt anyone. right?

[Marshal]

16 is plenty young enough to start in cars, IMHO

[mac]

Rat junior is 12.

Anyway, I'm with Marshal here. 12 is far too young. Are we prepared to see young children having massive accidents? I reckon 16 is young enough.

[kev]

I'm with 'Hippo.
Good enough is old enough.
Anyway, is a Formula Ford actually quicker than a Super Kart?

This years NZGP could have a 12 year old winner.
How'd you like that on your CV?

[Mekola]

I disagree with that.
Sometimes, I though there is a big bluff. I understand the hopes and success of very young drivers and the cases, but some of them didn't finish well. As one example you have the case of Mike Thackwell. A New Zealander, he is still the youngest driver who made an F1 debut when he was qualified for the 1980 Canadian GP. But his first presence was with Arrows for the Austrian or German GP of this same year. But after years in F2, specially after he won the F2 championship in 1984, he watched himself with no places to race in F1, and he only have 24-25 years old! Only the team RAM gave him some opportunities to get a drive. Now Thackwell is an unknown driver, only known on the stats because he was the youngest driver in F1.
Another case is Esteban Tuero, who came famous in 1995 when he won the Italian F2000 Championship only with 17 years old. Minardi peek a sight on him, and finally joined him to his team. But meanwhile, Tuero started a dancing in many junior formulae, never finishing the adaption to these category rules. Half 1996 year in Italian F3, the other half in F3000, six F.Nippon races in 1997... and in 1998 he sat on the Minardi! On 1996 and 1997 Tuero can't made much success on the categories he raced, only on Italian F3 (when he won one race but was disqualified) and in F.Nippon where he scored only one point. After his 1998 F1 campaign Tuero decided come back to local series, and some local journalists thinks he was some scared to be again in F1.
And sometimes I thought there will be a age-limit and don't allow race in F1 drivers under 21-22 years old. This isn't so restrictive, because younger drivers can wait as testdrivers and with this rule you can help another drivers who has talent but no places to get in the category, like Tom Kristensen.

Yip i agree, 12 is way too young! A kid at the age of 12 can be put under too much presure and this is usually very detrimental to his career. I do believe however that this will help produce some good drivers but will also destroy some. Kids tend to get over stressed in these situations and then quit and play golf or something else boring like the piano! These kids should be allowed the chance to show there skills in the world karting arena first to help them deal with there talent, and sponsors in a more recognisable way!

Farc

[Michael Hickey]

Can't wait to see him race against Ken Smith...talk about an age difference!


And imagine if the NZGP is run for formula fords ......another win to Ken Smith

[Zingo]

I'm sure you've seen Scott Dixon at the head of the CART field latley...

He's another Kiwi that had 8 years experience in a junior formula by the time he was 20!! I think driving a full blooded race car comes down to each kid...

I rather be wheel to wheel with this little guy than some doctor who's gone out and bought some 80's F1 car to "Hot Lap" around Brands!

[marcus]

You raise a very good point Zingo (and welcome to ten tenths )
Scott Dixon is an exceptionally talented driver..i dont know what age he started in formula ford but i did see him punting a formula Holden around at the age of 16..so im guessing he would have had a few years behind him to be able to do that.

its a tough one and some mixed views out there as well..maybe rat Jnr is as good as Dixon and deserves the chance ..but im still under the impression that this is too young..I would hope that the requirements to gain a lisense are very stringent to assertain whether the person concerned can handle the car , the pressure of racing and the understanding of all the rules.

I would hope that they make it pretty hard for a 12 year old to gain a lisense..and if they are good enough to pass the test then by all means let them on the race track.

someone also mentioned Ken Smith..i wonder what his thoughts on this subject are ??

he would be well into his 40's by now but has years of experience and is a fine pedaler to boot.

does anyone else think the lisense system should be harder for a 12 year old ?????

[rumple]

I'm on the fence for this one. I think at the age of 12 his education would suffer the most. OK he could still go to school but if and when he was good enough to compete as a professional driver he would have to concentrate more on his fitness and less on exams etc...

There would probably be a day when he could no longer afford to or was no longer good enough to continue with motor sport and what then? He would end up on the same scrap heap as 90% of the other drivers who thought they were good enough but only he would be at a huge disadvantage. His education would have suffered and he would end up with a dead end job only being able to spell "Turn in understeer with exit oversteer".

"But wat do i no"