More teams in F1
Discussion
I personally think there should be more teams in F1. That’s not saying that the Starting Grid should be more than 20 cars as we presently have.
In the past where qualifying was split so new teams had to qualify to qualify we had young drivers who had their equivalent super licences or the necessary permission then show their ability amongst the stars. Sometimes someone in a less funded car qualified in front of a regular team and driver. Sometimes someone new in a fully funded car started winning. Would Brawn have been allowed ?
There’s lots of talk at the moment that teams don’t want to split the financial side more than it does with the present 10 teams. They don’t have to if it’s the regular 10 teams getting the 20 starting slots but they don’t want someone such as Andretti , regular racers who have a history of winning, coming in and out qualifying the regular teams. Maybe Penske would want to come back or Peugeot or Toyota.
It should be a case if a team can come up with the required funds it should be allowed to qualify. If it doesn’t qualify it gets no payment. If it gets onto the Starting Grid then it’s earned something on merit. It should not be a closed shop because Toto or Christian or another says so.
There’s lots of drivers who are capable of driving competitively in F1 and not enough cars at present.
In the past where qualifying was split so new teams had to qualify to qualify we had young drivers who had their equivalent super licences or the necessary permission then show their ability amongst the stars. Sometimes someone in a less funded car qualified in front of a regular team and driver. Sometimes someone new in a fully funded car started winning. Would Brawn have been allowed ?
There’s lots of talk at the moment that teams don’t want to split the financial side more than it does with the present 10 teams. They don’t have to if it’s the regular 10 teams getting the 20 starting slots but they don’t want someone such as Andretti , regular racers who have a history of winning, coming in and out qualifying the regular teams. Maybe Penske would want to come back or Peugeot or Toyota.
It should be a case if a team can come up with the required funds it should be allowed to qualify. If it doesn’t qualify it gets no payment. If it gets onto the Starting Grid then it’s earned something on merit. It should not be a closed shop because Toto or Christian or another says so.
There’s lots of drivers who are capable of driving competitively in F1 and not enough cars at present.
deadslow said:
Andretti state they (or their backers) have the funds. I'd like to see them on the grid. They are racers.
Andretti isn’t some fly-by-night entrant. They’ve got the $200m if required, and have a long history in competitive motorsports. They’re also Amercians, who would likely field an American driver, which is good for F1 the business.
It’s up to F1 (Liberty) to reassure, if not underwrite, the commercial side to the existing entrants - many of whom have made billion-dollar investments over a decade or more, and don’t want to be diluted.
Tazar said:
In the past where qualifying was split so new teams had to qualify to qualify we had young drivers who had their equivalent super licences or the necessary permission then show their ability amongst the stars.
That's the memory. The reality was a little different. Most of those teams that required to pre-qualify really were rather rubbish. Those who drove for them either had their careers destroyed by them, were drivers making a last role of the dice or pay-drivers with no serious hope of even qualifying let alone achieving anything of note. I'm sure there may have been some but off the top of my head I can't recall any driver who drove for a 'pre-qualifying' team to go on and have a long and illustrious career in F1.
Any driver with real potential would have been better racing in Japan for a few years (as Irvine, Alesi and a few others did) until a seat become available in better teams than driving for one of the pre-quali back marker outfits.
The main requirement for a team to compete in F1 is having the necessary funds in place to make whatever payments are needed to the appropriate authorities. No promises that it’s coming or we’ll have it by then. If the team has the funding in place nobody can dispute that that they cannot afford to compete.
Obviously a driver has to have the required license to compete in F1 unlike days gone by when drivers with little experience of top level motorsport could just jump into a car.
If those two requirements are met it’s a great pity that they cannot compete for a qualifying place.
Obviously a driver has to have the required license to compete in F1 unlike days gone by when drivers with little experience of top level motorsport could just jump into a car.
If those two requirements are met it’s a great pity that they cannot compete for a qualifying place.
StevieBee said:
Tazar said:
In the past where qualifying was split so new teams had to qualify to qualify we had young drivers who had their equivalent super licences or the necessary permission then show their ability amongst the stars.
That's the memory. The reality was a little different. Most of those teams that required to pre-qualify really were rather rubbish. Those who drove for them either had their careers destroyed by them, were drivers making a last role of the dice or pay-drivers with no serious hope of even qualifying let alone achieving anything of note. I'm sure there may have been some but off the top of my head I can't recall any driver who drove for a 'pre-qualifying' team to go on and have a long and illustrious career in F1.
Any driver with real potential would have been better racing in Japan for a few years (as Irvine, Alesi and a few others did) until a seat become available in better teams than driving for one of the pre-quali back marker outfits.
thiscocks said:
There were plenty of good drivers in teams which had to pre-qualify though. Moreno, Larini and Martini spring to mind.
Alboreto, Tarquini, Modena, Brundle, Johansson, Gachot, Winkelhock, Dalmas, Lehto, Alliot in the period from 1988-1992Villeneuve, Tambay, Fabi, Patrese, Rosberg, Arnoux, Piquet, Stuck, Mass, Jarier, Warwick in the period from 1977-1982
carl_w said:
thiscocks said:
There were plenty of good drivers in teams which had to pre-qualify though. Moreno, Larini and Martini spring to mind.
Alboreto, Tarquini, Modena, Brundle, Johansson, Gachot, Winkelhock, Dalmas, Lehto, Alliot in the period from 1988-1992Villeneuve, Tambay, Fabi, Patrese, Rosberg, Arnoux, Piquet, Stuck, Mass, Jarier, Warwick in the period from 1977-1982
If you look at Brundle, he joined Brabham (or MRD) at point of decline in a previously championship winning team. The Zackspeed wasn't too bad a car (though unreliable). Moreno was a handy driver but never really top league.
Without looking, who can name any drivers (or any drivers that went onto win races and championships) who raced for Coloni, or Fondmetal, or AGS, or Venturi or Dallara.....etc?
Sandpit Steve said:
Andretti isn’t some fly-by-night entrant. They’ve got the $200m if required, and have a long history in competitive motorsports. They’re also Amercians, who would likely field an American driver, which is good for F1 the business.
It’s up to F1 (Liberty) to reassure, if not underwrite, the commercial side to the existing entrants - many of whom have made billion-dollar investments over a decade or more, and don’t want to be diluted.
Even Williams, with all their advantages and in house engineering ability located in the centre of an F1 engineering powerhouse region are struggling, imagine trying to start all that from scratch from the USA.
StevieBee said:
carl_w said:
thiscocks said:
There were plenty of good drivers in teams which had to pre-qualify though. Moreno, Larini and Martini spring to mind.
Alboreto, Tarquini, Modena, Brundle, Johansson, Gachot, Winkelhock, Dalmas, Lehto, Alliot in the period from 1988-1992Villeneuve, Tambay, Fabi, Patrese, Rosberg, Arnoux, Piquet, Stuck, Mass, Jarier, Warwick in the period from 1977-1982
If you look at Brundle, he joined Brabham (or MRD) at point of decline in a previously championship winning team. The Zackspeed wasn't too bad a car (though unreliable). Moreno was a handy driver but never really top league.
Without looking, who can name any drivers (or any drivers that went onto win races and championships) who raced for Coloni, or Fondmetal, or AGS, or Venturi or Dallara.....etc?
He did alright in his subsequent career....
RichB said:
thiscocks said:
<clip> There were plenty of good drivers in teams which had to pre-qualify though.
Damon Hill had to pre-qualify the Brabham in 1991, making it through into a couple of grand prix. 
t about at the back trying to qualify and never do? Doesnt add to the spectacle.wiliferus said:
I quite like the idea of having more teams/cars than grid positions.
22-24 cars qualifying for 20 grid positions… stick it in the wall or blow the engine during Q1 - boom, weekend over. Could add some interesting twists and turns in the WDC?
Rubbish for sponsors. That era has gone with the current cost base.22-24 cars qualifying for 20 grid positions… stick it in the wall or blow the engine during Q1 - boom, weekend over. Could add some interesting twists and turns in the WDC?
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