[Rules] 2016 FIA Superlicence rules

[NaBUru38]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/117026

Formula 1's superlicence rules will be dramatically tightened up from 2016, with a new minimum driver age of 18 and at least two years' single-seater experience required to qualify.

The stricter criteria were agreed during a meeting of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council.

So after you do some karting, you race two years in junior formula racing, and then jump to F1. It's still not strict enough.


I believe that F3 experience should be required to race in GP2 and FR3.5 . Then drivers should need GP2, FR3.5 or IndyCar experience to get a superlicence.

[wolfhound]

I have just been looking at the new superlicence requirements. A few catagories that I would include are WEC LMP2 and DTM.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/117281

Otherwise I think they are pretty good with the exception that FR3.5 and the Japanese Super formula could be higher ranked.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

I believe if you have got it then you've got it. Sensible move from the FIA but it doesn't need to get needlessly strict.

[Beryl]

It's a folly.

With this system, Daniel Ricciardo wouldn't have been able to enter F1 when he did, Carlos Sainz Jr wouldn't be able to enter F1 now (but Marcel Fassler would...) and Kevin Magnusson would have just squeaked through (1st in FR3.5, 7th in FR3.5 and 2nd in British F3 is exactly 40 points). Also Michael Schumacher would not have recieved a superlicense in 2010.

[racer69]

What was exactly wrong with the present system?

It seems like they are over-complicating matters just for the sake of it, it certainly seems like it has nothing to do with 'safety'. It's not like Max Verstappen cases were likely to come along every year, and it's unlikely he'll be any more out of his depth at the start of next year than plenty of other rookies over the years..

[wolfhound]

I suspect that they had become a bit too vague other than you had to cover a certain distance in an F1 car and even that was not always adheared to.

[W.A Trichlorostyrene]

Originally Posted by racer69

What was exactly wrong with the present system?

It seems like they are over-complicating matters just for the sake of it, it certainly seems like it has nothing to do with 'safety'. It's not like Max Verstappen cases were likely to come along every year, and it's unlikely he'll be any more out of his depth at the start of next year than plenty of other rookies over the years..

My guess is that the hidden agenda is to put the axe on the Renault series, in order to make room for the FIA's old dream of a F4/F3/F2 ladder.

An Eurocup title followed by a F3.5 title gives you 35 points, which is still 5 points short of 40. There goes one of the very cheapest route to Formula 1!

The GP2 and GP3 series got off lightly, but of course you have to be either very brave or very foolish to pick up a fight with Bernie.

The DTM is not even included, which means that Paul di Resta(the guy who beat Vettel in Euro F3, mind you) would have had a grand total of 0 point in 2011...

Of course this situation was bound to happen when there is such a massive conflict of interest in the first place. In an ideal world the superlicense system would have to be created or at least reviewed by an independant panel, but given the FIA's record when it comes to transparency, I'm affraid that's just a pipe dream.

[wolfhound]

It would not surprise me if there was pressure from Bernie to ensure his series were higher ranked than Renault's.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by W.A Trichlorostyrene

My guess is that the hidden agenda is to put the axe on the Renault series, in order to make room for the FIA's old dream of a F4/F3/F2 ladder.

It's not exactly hidden is it? Ever since Berger got involved in 'restructuring' the single seater categories this has been on the cards. FIA championships have been implemented to kill off the other championships so only the 'official' approved ladder remains. Once they're all dead the FIA will have a monopoly on the entire single seater ladder for professional drivers.

[bella]

obviously the ratings are a bit out of kilter with perceptions of the value of series to a young driver but it's not entirely unworkable.

the renault series do tend to be a bit, uh, light on the engineering and learning front compared to the formula 3 series, even nowadays with the way it's more of a spec series. so i'm actually thinking it's wise to keep 3.5 and eurocup titles combined down a bit.

the reality of today's motorsport is that if you want to graduate to f1 you have to be on a f1 teams payroll by the end of your first year in racing. if not, you have to be prepared to invest around £2million at LEAST to get you to gp2, or to bail out of the single seater ladder after getting a decent rep and learning as much as possible, then paying for a couple of years in lmp3/2.

ultimately i think the panic is being overplayed. once you get beyond winning a series in the points scale there's not a vast amount of difference. realistically, anyone in the top 3 or 4 from gp2 would have the points to qualify for a superlicence, likewise from 3.5 if you did 2 seasons and had a 4th and then won the title.

so yeah. it's not really terrible at all. personally i think it's been really well done, taking loads of things into consideration. and some bias is to be expected.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Beryl

It's a folly.

With this system, Daniel Ricciardo wouldn't have been able to enter F1 when he did, Carlos Sainz Jr wouldn't be able to enter F1 now (but Marcel Fassler would...) and Kevin Magnusson would have just squeaked through (1st in FR3.5, 7th in FR3.5 and 2nd in British F3 is exactly 40 points). Also Michael Schumacher would not have recieved a superlicense in 2010.

They would probably have to had to fight like Perry McCarthy did! But as for Schumi, don't forget Lauda was made an exception in 82 on the strength of his pre retirement career.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Now I know the details, the whole thing is a mistake and stupid. What does this achieve?

[bella]

ok then. how would YOU do it?

there's so many critics but nobody has a better way of sorting out who gets a licence!

[Tucky]

I think it's a good way of stopping some young drivers being screwed over by teams putting them into F1 too early, and then being unceremoniously dumped because they "weren't good enough".

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Tucky

I think it's a good way of stopping some young drivers being screwed over by teams putting them into F1 too early, and then being unceremoniously dumped because they "weren't good enough".

So its pretty well self regulating anyway!

With Biscuits here, just an artificial way of blowing up the importance of lesser formulae!
If the cars were a proper test of skill, then a neophyte would not be able to qualify one!


Looks like all the artificial BS that was brought up when Marc Marquez made the MotoGP grig, and look how that inexperienced mug kid went!

[bella]

thinking about it from the other angle... at least it's guranteeing the junior formulae a bit more cash as largely average drivers stretch for those magical 40 points

[NaBUru38]

Simon Pagenaud was 3rd in 2013 IndyCar and 5th in 2012 and 2014. He wouldn't qualify!!!

FIA F3 should be worth 20 points.

That's absolute ridiculous. And every member of the FIA drivers committee should quit right now.

[Tucky]

I admit it's ridiculous that Indycar and WEC only just about get 40 points for winning. Basically if you're not in one of the Formula Bernie series then chances are you're never getting into F1.

[steve_r]

I have read that Kimi Raikonnen would have failed this critera too. He only went on to become WDC.

Still, I can understand why they are intrducing something like this. The way we were going, a 12 yo kid would be the next in line for a F1 drive, just as long as his dad was a F1 driver back in the day.

[FIRE]

What a joke. FIA

[Adam43]

The FIA are reacting to the reaction from the press and the fans after Max got his drive. Add that to DRS and points system tweaks. When will they learn? ;-)

[chillibowl]

i wish our other complaints received as much attention from the fia.

[Adam43]

To steal the saying about yellow flags in NASCAR,

Complaints breed complaints.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

How would I do it? Case by case basis. It's not hard, only a select few even stand a chance of making F1 every year. You either have it or you don't. Pagenaud is far beyond the ability of either Sauber driver since Hulkenberg. Lucas di Grassi is a better driver than any Caterham driver in their history. This system is a farce. Totally hopeless.

[Beryl]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Simon Pagenaud was 3rd in 2013 IndyCar and 5th in 2012 and 2014. He wouldn't qualify!!!.

At least Indycar gets double the points of their across-the-pacific equivalent. Naoki Yamamoto is an SF champion and he wouldn't qualify.