F1 Driver ages - Is it more and more a young man's sport?

[chunterer]

THe GP Masters 'race' and the great post race thread currently going on brought home to me the fact that F1 - a category that rewards those with great experience as well as outright speed- is becoming populated more and more by younger drivers.

Or put it another way, Schumacher aside there hasn't been many drivers competing past the age of 37/38 for a number of years now.

Mansell and Prost both won titles nearer 40 (Mansell was 39 and Prost 38)just over a decade ago and both could easily have continued to compete at the fron if circumstances were more favourable for them.

Only Irvine, Herbert and Frentzen would be consider 'older' drivers and they all were gone before at 36 i think, but although they were quick were never consistent front runners or title contenders.

In a sport that is so reliant on maturity, patience and common sense, surely more experienced drivers, who i ought to add still fancied a good fight, would be an asset to any team?

This obviously used to be the case in the 80's and 90's as team managers clamoured for the top 4 or 6 guys (like Mansell, Prost, Senna, Berger, even Patrese etc.. all of whom were well into their 30's) apparently because they weren't willing to take a risk on youngsters.

But why has this all changed recently - is it because there has been a paucity of top line drivers during the Schuey dominance? Is it because it's so expensive that team owners have to hire less experienced guys because they're cheaper (a la Rosberg?!) Is it because the cars are so demanding to drive that fitness is an issue? Or is it because nowadays the technical gubbins is more accessible to younger drivers?

Good fodder folks?

[N I Tram]

Most of today's drivers started racing karts at a much younger age than the previous generation, and are closer to their own level of perfection in their early 20s, so they get the drive more quickly. Therefore, they get bored of it, and no longer see the travelling and fitness regime to be worthwhile - there's more testing and PR work now, so it's less appealing to drivers with families.

[chunterer]

Have to say i hadn't factored in the family angle.

It certainly is fair to suggest that a driver who's succeeded and feels there's little motivation to push on and risk it if they have a family would be right to jack it in, even if they are at a relatively young age. It;s not simply a case of driving the car anymore either, there's the commercial stuff as you say.

However look at Hakkinen - although he's only just approaching the age group in question here, he packed it in for simialr reasons that you mentioned but decided to comeback and i couldn't believe that only Williams were trying to get hold of him.

In past eras, a Mansell or Prost 'comeback' sent team wild trying to sign them up. Or Bernie would send out a rumour that a Lauda, Hunt or Stewart was contemplating a comeback to spice things up a bit. (And this was at a time when we had multiple champs and winners already in it!!!)

I know there was a big push with JV and Mika last year and it worked in the former's case and now we've at last got a handful of top line drivers again (all of whom are below 30) maybe the knowledge and PR value of a former WDC isn't the pull it once was?!

I guess the guys are now in F1 who are prefectly capable of taking on Schuey so we don't need to bring back his old adversaries when he's got new ones!

[pink69]

I think its more a case of manufacture's wanting results. If the older guys aren't getting results, the top-brass have less qualms about booting them out in favour of younger, seemingly more impressive drivers. Mclaren gave Coulthard the boot for Montoya even tho Coulthard has been very consistant over the years, once Raikkonen started to out-race him, out he went. Michael's still around because he's been getting the results year after year, but also Ferrari love him and wouldn't kick hm out until he's ready. Down to management really. Plus, alot of younger drivers have the money to buy seats where as sponsors are less willing to put money on older guys (except maybe Verstappen). Its not to say older drivers are any less able! There's never been a big change in the drivers in F1. Its usualy only 1 or 2 new drivers a year, usually at teams lower down the grid where pay seats are available. The top teams seem to like to stick with proven drivers until someone takes a gamble on a young driver, then sign him up when he shows talent (See Alonso) If Rosberg turns out to be a success at Williams, whats the betting someone from Ferrardi, Renault or Mclaren doesn't come along for him in a few years?

[foreversideways]

A number of things have changed in the sport but i guess the main reason that many more younger guys are comming through now is the improvement in safety. In years gone buy not to many parents would encorage their offspring to take up motorsort or to finance it, as it was effectivly a path to a coffin. Therefore in most cases drivers came into the sport later against the wishes of their family and having had something of a life before motorsport. Often they has to scrimp and save to participate in the sport (Mansell having to sell his house to fund 4 F3 races). There were of course exceptions to this. Now karting and the junior formula are a production line for kids with parents happy to foot the bill. Teams like it as they cost less than the current stars (whoever they are at the time) and they are easy to control and mold as they have very little life experience. The downside is that drivers are washed up much younger than in the past. It is easy to imagine that someone as young as JPM (30) could be out of F1 in 2/3 seasons time making way for Lewis Hamilton, say.

[racebusiness]

Coulthard said last week on radio that there really are not that many young drivers that good teams (ie not for money) want to run, and who in their right mind would trust a £200m operation to a 22 year old who still lives with his mother?

I agree and I think it takes the guys until their 30's to get anything useful done on track, with the exception of course of the really special ones like raikk, Monty, Shu & Alonso.

Most of the young guys just can't establish a consistent level.

[BootsOntheSide]

Interesting rewrite of history there Pink - name me a year where only 2 rookies have raced? 2005 was unusual in that only Liuzzi of the rookies was there through (perceived) talent and potential rather than funding, although Albers, Doornbos and Montiero all did well themselves (as an aside, Verstappen got sponsorship because for years he was the only Dutch driver avaialble for F1 - now, he isn't, so there's no need for him, especially as Christjan and Robert are already as good).

Karting seems to be at the focus of it. As a hobby it is now more affordable, although still far more so than junior soccer, and is relatively safe compared to a lot of youth exploits, and motor racing is more glamourous than ever, so parents are more likely to be supportive. Also, it is more readily available, so the most talented potential drivers in younger generations are much more likely to have tried it young, got hooked and kept going to have years of racing experience before learning to drive.

I'm not sure drivers are leaving the sport much younger than in the past - you've got to go back to the likes of Graham Hill (who never learnt to drive until he was 24) to find 40-somethings in Formula One regularly.

[Bononi]

I think it's the world today. More and more in every aspect of human life we see younger people getting to work and starting early careers. From the local business to the huge corporation, in the music biz, everywhere. Young people feel more confortable with ever-changing technologies and absorb more easily the changes in the process. It's not a "young" thing, but more a "designed for" trend. That doesn't mean that older people can't do it, but simply they are slower in the process. The world today is designed for young people.

[SpawnyWhippet]

Seems to me that drivers are getting younger all the time, just like policemen!

[TEAM78]

young drivers are really a big gamble and usually need coaching> i wouldnt employ a 22yr old with no real track record to race my cars!

[SpawnyWhippet]

Depends, some drivers have 10 years racing experience by the time they are 22. Look at Kimi, Alonso and JB, all of whom were very young when they got a F1 drive. They had no problems, even though Kimi had only done 25 car races in his life.

[chunterer]

But, does this all mean that younger driver are auotmatically going to be better than older drivers? If in the past a top team picked an older champ over a younger hotshoe wit race wins or a guy who has tested quickly but might have little race experience.

Only team who had bucked this is Williams with Hill and DC ten years ago... and arguably Lotus with Emmo in early 70's?

Only they took a perceived risk with less experienced drivers. But that was because they couldn't get the likes of Prost or Mansell to resign with them.

Strange how priorities change, it is quite fickle...

[Go-Pakistan]

What must be remembered is that a lot of these young guys have been driving since the age of 8 !

So by the time they are 22, they would have had 14 years top level race driving experience. I recently watched a karting event england vs scotland vs wales on satellite TV. categories from 8 yrs upwards, the level of skill was amazing. The leading drivers were driving round the whole track literally about 1 inch from the kart in front.

So i don't think age is a key factor, it's more to do with experience and track time.

Nigel Mansell didn't started F1 at 27, Damon Hill at age 32 (but he had 2 seasons of f.ford, 3 seasons of F3 and 3 seasons of F3000 before this). They both went on to win the championship.

The likes of Button, Raikonnen, Alonso have been racing since probably the age of 8-10 so teams are happily willing to entrust them with multimillion dollar machinery, because they are the most experienced.

[Go-Pakistan]

Of course if an older driver has the experience and is still fit and motivated, they will also find seats, eg. M.Schumacher, Coulthard.

[chunterer]

Absoloutely Go Pakistan - My memory teels me that untill the last few years most of the front running drivers were well over 30, with the odd young guy forcing his way into the elite group. I guess we'll end up in a similar situation in future with Alonso, Kimi, Montoya, Webber, Button and few others?

It's all probably that i've got all misty eyed and 'rose tinted' watching the GP Masters with characters that i started watching when i was little that became my heroes etc..

I see the current top guys as heroic but not in the same way as i did 20 years ago. Today, it's as if they aren't themselves, they're manufactured. Now and again Montoya and Schuey say it exactly as it is, but most of the drivers speak in a monotone, pre advised warble that makes me nod off!

It's more difficult to 'look upto' people that are younger than you!

[QuickSilver]

Originally Posted by Andydickens

Seems to me that drivers are getting younger all the time, just like policemen!

... and centerfolds