How professional is a professional team?

[BertBert]

Just in...

JP and his crew said:

Following the latest lockdown restrictions introduced earlier this week, 'General' testing will regrettably be suspended until at least the week commencing 15 February.

Exclusive and semi-exclusive testing will continue to operate, but only professional teams may attend. No-one else, including spectating friends or family members, will be permitted.

We still have availability on the following test days for professional teams...

[itsallyellow]

Yes I also received that email and thought exactly the same thing, at what point does a team become professional. If I have a paying driver in my car?

Interesting!

[BertBert]

It definitely counts me out as I'm far too tight to pay for semi exclusive test days!!

[ChevronB19]

Sent an email to their press office asking them to define what a ‘professional team’ is.

I don’t expect a reply.

[ChevronB19]

ChevronB19 said:

Sent an email to their press office asking them to define what a ‘professional team’ is.

I don’t expect a reply.

And in beautiful irony, the address for the press office is no longer valid. Very professional.

[stevieturbo]

Whoever pays the most.

[BobbyA]

By definition professional "engaged in a specified activity as one's main paid occupation rather than as a pastime"

Therefore a professional team is one whereby it is their main business and their main paid occupation.

It is likely you will have to be a registered business to test.

This is the problem with the current situation, people always trying to look for loop holes and find fault in the guidelines.. Its quite simple to me. If you cannot work from home then go to work. A professional race team cannot work from home. And therefore are allowed to test in a covid secure manner.

If you ran a professional race team you would know that you a professional race team.

This can also include team from club racing if the run cars and it is their main occupation. I

[Kickstart]

Probably restricting testing to exclusive and semi exclusive at circa £700 per day in Jan naturally limits the amateur - personally they would have to pay me to go testing in the present weather conditions

[Kraken]

Kickstart said:

Probably restricting testing to exclusive and semi exclusive at circa £700 per day in Jan naturally limits the amateur - personally they would have to pay me to go testing in the present weather conditions

You'd be surprised. I know amateur (as in basic club level) drivers who think nothing of spending £2000 plus per day of testing by the time they've got a mechanic and driver coach attending with them. They've usually spent more by the start of the season than I spend in the whole season.

[Kickstart]

Ah probably the reason why I tend to support the more gentlemanly end of the grid

[BertBert]

Kickstart said:

Ah probably the reason why I tend to support the more gentlemanly end of the grid

It's not really a concept though in my mind. All grids have rich people. But in the end driver talent wins out.

[stevieturbo]

BertBert said:

It's not really a concept though in my mind. All grids have rich people. But in the end driver talent wins out.

Or more often, the best car, the best team, those who can exploit the rules the most wins out.

A good driver will easily do extremely well in with an exceptional car/team.

A superb driver might do well with a substandard car against them, but it will always be a struggle.. Even something as simple as the ability to afford the best and new tyres often, can be a huge advantage.

Now obviously a crap driver will not do so well with that same exceptional car/team, but that's just one extreme.

And then there are those few individuals, who can perform magic with limited resources. But they are the few.

[andy97]

BertBert said:

It's not really a concept though in my mind. All grids have rich people. But in the end driver talent wins out.

Sure, but every driver will improve due to testing, coaching, practice, seat time, call it what you will.

Wish I could afford more seat time.

[stevieturbo]

andy97 said:

Sure, but every driver will improve due to testing, coaching, practice, seat time, call it what you will.

Wish I could afford more seat time.

Very true, testing is invaluable, as is seat time...and very expensive.

[BertBert]

stevieturbo said:

Very true, testing is invaluable, as is seat time...and very expensive.

Just playing devils advocate... it seems to me that often in club racing, there are notably many winners who just don't do that. Turn up after work late on Friday (or in the middle of the night) and just go out a beat the rest of us hard workers who have tested all Friday!
I need to test as I'm a bit rubbish and it takes me a while to get my eye in!

[stevieturbo]

BertBert said:

Just playing devils advocate... it seems to me that often in club racing, there are notably many winners who just don't do that. Turn up after work late on Friday (or in the middle of the night) and just go out a beat the rest of us hard workers who have tested all Friday!
I need to test as I'm a bit rubbish and it takes me a while to get my eye in!

And presumably they are not novices. As said, on top of that, there just are some out there who are very capable of both building and driving a package that will go very quick.

[Altrezia]

BertBert said:

Just playing devils advocate... it seems to me that often in club racing, there are notably many winners who just don't do that. Turn up after work late on Friday (or in the middle of the night) and just go out a beat the rest of us hard workers who have tested all Friday!
I need to test as I'm a bit rubbish and it takes me a while to get my eye in!

I agree these people are around - but the "norm" is the guys who test a lot get near the front.

[andy97]

BertBert said:

Just playing devils advocate... it seems to me that often in club racing, there are notably many winners who just don't do that. Turn up after work late on Friday (or in the middle of the night) and just go out a beat the rest of us hard workers who have tested all Friday!
I need to test as I'm a bit rubbish and it takes me a while to get my eye in!

But maybe they have years of seat time already in the bank.
There will always be “naturals” but in most sports, people benefit from practice.

[Truckosaurus]

andy97 said:

...
There will always be “naturals” but in most sports, people benefit from practice.

I listened to a good interview (I can't recall where) with the chap who was the Stig on American Top Gear, who was saying there was no such thing as 'natural ability' just previous experiences that could be applied to a new skill.

[BertBert]

Truckosaurus said:

andy97 said:

...
There will always be “naturals” but in most sports, people benefit from practice.

I listened to a good interview (I can't recall where) with the chap who was the Stig on American Top Gear, who was saying there was no such thing as 'natural ability' just previous experiences that could be applied to a new skill.

That's just plain silly! BertBert definitely has a much lower natural talent than Sir Lewis!