Bottas: We Need More Young Driver Tests

[ESPImperium]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103496

Again we see more complaints from a young driver about not having enough milage in F1, but i think there are at least 3 opertunities for the teams to give the drivers opertunities.

Firstly, when it comes to the pre season, there are 12 days avalable from 2013 onward, what id do is make it that race drivers were limited to 5 days in the car each with the reserve having 2 pre-season.

Secondly, ill come to In Season/Young Driver Tests, i think there is an opertunity for a potential three tests over 9 days testing in season, however teams can only attend a maximum of two of theese tests and spend 6 days maximum as well. Id like to see a 3 day test in the 3 week break in-between the first 4 races and the first of the euro races, im looking at a non callender track here, posibly at Paul Ricard so they can use the multiple layouts. Id add a second 3 day test at the end of the euro season as well at Magney Cours where its very cost effective for most of the teams on the way back from Monza. The last track id make Abu Dhabi, where all teams must attend as Pirilli will bring 5 sets of every compound for the following season for the teams to test on. Id allow race drivers to take part in 1 test day each and the rest of the time shall be covered by test/reserve/development guys. Also young drivers shall be coverd by classed as drivers who are under the age of 25. Test/Reserve guys are over the age of 25 and are limited to a single day.

Thirdly, FP1, this can be used as well, as all teams have to set aside at least 10 FP1 sessions at their choice of sessions (there are 20) to have a driver who hasnt competed in more than 2 GP in the past 24 months. so that no driver like Hulkenberg couldnt do what he did in 2011 and Williams would be okay with Bottas this year. However time for FP1 drivers has to be equally split between both race drivers cars, so Bottas would have to jump into Maldanados car for 7 or 8 of the FP1 sessions. This keeps it fair for race drivers not getting a chip on their shoulder about them missing out FP1. FP1 drivers would also get a additional set of Options to run on to futher their development.

[SeijaKessen]

Bottas should shut up and go drive in GP2.

Yes I understand he wouldn't be allowed to drive in FP1 had he been driving in GP2. But really, he should just waltz into a seat in F1? I just have a feeling he is going to be another spoiled brat.

To be honest, I would rather see more in-season testing allowed for the actual drivers.

I know of no other sport really that prevents the participants from using their equipment as much as F1 does. I do think there would be something for letting teams rent circuits out depending on what they are looking to do. The FIA could negotiate deals with these circuits for reduced costs anyhow.

I would argue against a tire test at Abu Dhabi simply because if the FIA and FOM start dictating to Pirelli something different come February/March regarding tire compounds, then anything done at Abu Dhabi will be for nothing.

[mx_tifoso]

Bottas should shut up and go drive in GP2.

...

I agree with the entire post, but especially that part.

[stefan_]

Bottas should shut up and go drive in GP2.

...

I agree with the entire post, but especially that part.

+1

Bottas should pay his dues and climb up the ladder as everyone else by going thoroughly through GP3 and GP2. For some reason I don't like this guy, how he just throws himself in Formula One because he has the money to do that.

[beelsebob]

I honestly don't see how it's possible to justify that position.

We've had a couple of drivers this year who have graduated from GP2, and been two of the least safe F1 drivers we've seen in a long time. We've had several new drivers, including Bottas complaining that there simply is net enough opportunity to get used to cars before they have to drive them in anger.

Basically, I think it's retarded to expect a driver to do about 80 laps (in pre season testing), and maybe an extra 100 or so the season before on Fridays, if you're lucky... And then get in the car and drive in a race without --- up.

[ESPImperium]

I have to aggree with the above statemnent.

The last safe driver that had lots of F1 testing pre F1 race debut was Nico Hulkenberg, who in 2007 and 2008 tested for Williams and in 2009 got to warm up at the Young Drivers Test. I am saying Hulkenberg as he is the one that has had the most races since the testing ban from the start 2009 that has graduated from GP2 in 2009 onward. Buemi, Petrov and Senna are the next closest to Hulkenberg, however Senna didnt get much testing in F1 machenary, Petrov got zip and Buemi who is the next closest to Hulkenberg, who got a decent ammount of red Bull/Toro Rosso seat time. However i am missing out Kamui Kobayashi, as he is a quick driver but sometimes isnt as safe, but not as unsafe as say Grosjean.

Post 2009 GP2 Graduates:

Lucas Di Grassi
Nico Hulkenberg
Vitaly Petrov
Sébastien Buemi
Karun Chandhok
Bruno Senna
Kamui Kobayashi
Lucas Di Grassi
Jerôme D'ambrosio
Pastor Maldonado
Sergio Perez
Romain Grosjean
Charles Pic


Non GP2 Recruits:

Jaime Alguersuari
Daniel Ricciardo
Paul Di Resta

The latter three seemed to be best prepaired somehow. however they did get an advantage of FP1 drives, and in the case of Riccardo a half season at the back of the grid.

The GP2 guys seem to be less prepaired, with exeption to say 4 of them.

I think there needs to be something done to prepair the guys for F1, however it has to be done in a fiscally responsible way to the teams in terms of finance and team resource. However i also think that GP2 also needs to take a look at its self in a technichal stand point as well, i also think the guys there should think about putting DRS, KERS and also put say 4 rotaries on the wheel with the MES ECU as well in order to get the guys even less of a step to F1. Also i do belive that drivers should have to compete in at least 20 weekends in GP2 or WSBR before being allowed to race in F1, but also complete at least 5,000Km in test and FP1 distance in the past 24 months as well.

[mx_tifoso]

Instead of taking seat time away from race drivers, why not have the test/reserves drive two year old chassis on current tyres? It's F1 seat that time that matters and that's more than enough. And to make it "fair", the cars would have to be in original launch spec without any add-ons to prevent testing of any parts for the current year.

[snoop1050]

i think the actual race drivers need as many FP1's and pre season testing days as they can get...

people like bottas should be quiet and wait their turn.

michael schumacher had barely any testing and still managed to impress which suggests drivers dont need pampering with thousands of km of testing or track time.

people might claim grosjean wouldnt have as many start accidents if he had over 9000 miles of testing but they dont test starts and hes fine everywhere else.

the cream of the crop rise and the rest flop.

sink or swim bottas which shall it be?

[Websta]

Does the 5-6 odd second lap-time differential between GP2 and F1 make safe GP2 drivers suddenly unsafe? Maldonado and Grosjean (but particularly Maldonado) were both involved in a lot of accidents in all lower formula - its not like they suddenly became unsafe when they sat in an F1 car. Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosber, Hulkenburg, Glock etc had no issues making the transition. I don't see why testing an F1 car for a few days would suddenly make the drivers substantially more competent or safe than competing in an entire GP2 season would.

They just need more young driver testing so that the F1 hopefuls have more opportunities to try and impress the teams, which is fair enough, but if you need an F1 testing session to sell yourself to a team, how good can you really be? Drivers should let their lower formula record sell itself.

And yeah, Bottas should have spent the year racing FP1 and in WSR3.5 like Daniel Ricciardo managed last year. Then we could see what he is really made of.

[beelsebob]

Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosber, Hulkenburg, Glock etc had no issues making the transition.

Notably, all of these drivers made the transition before the testing ban

[Websta]

True, but there are plenty GP2 drivers who have only had limited testing after the ban was imposed who have been fine as well

[nacho]

I predicted when the testing ban came that it will stop development of new "star drivers".