What’s the motive a driver like Esteban Ocon would need to keep in F1 as a reserve driver moderately than decide to race elsewhere in a distinct collection? All F1 drivers are very, excellent, and presumably could be in demand, so why not compete elsewhere, win some races, be a hero? – Stephen
When it grew to become clear that Ocon was not going to be retained by Haas subsequent yr, and that his choices for a race seat appeared to have evaporated, the Frenchman was insistent that his F1 profession was not over.
Staying concerned within the sport as a reserve driver – if he can discover a spot – is one of the best ways to maintain present within the sport.
It means a driver is accessible ought to both of the race drivers at no matter workforce he can land with be incapacitated.
It retains him conversant in present F1 equipment by way of simulator classes, and maybe driving current automobiles.
And it merely retains his face round and in folks’s minds.
Go and race elsewhere, whether or not it is Indycar, Components E or endurance racing, for instance, and it is a lot easer to be forgotten, or for folks to imagine your time has come and gone.
Why hasn’t Liam Lawson been confirmed for 2027 regardless of his sensible driving this yr? – Pete
The choice as to which two of the three drivers in competition to drive for Racing Bulls subsequent yr is within the palms of the Crimson Bull shareholders Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz, and Crimson Bull’s final F1 boss Oliver Mintzlaff.
Lawson is in competition alongside together with his present team-mate Arvid Lindblad and F2 front-runner Nikola Tsolov.
The previous Crimson Bull means – below Helmut Marko and Christian Horner – would have been to jettison Lawson now on the premise he has had his likelihood within the lead workforce and is unlikely to be thought of for one more, and put in Tsolov as the following cab off the rank, so to talk.
The counter-argument is that leaves two unproven skills going in opposition to one another subsequent yr, which would depart Crimson Bull not understanding what they’re taking a look at.
Higher, this argument goes, to maintain Lawson and Lindblad collectively subsequent yr for a fuller studying on Lindblad, with Lawson as a known-quantity benchmark, then drop whoever performs least nicely on the finish of 2027 in favour of Tsolov.
In not so many phrases, Racing Bulls workforce boss Alan Permane made this second argument in Brazil on the weekend.
“Crimson Bull’s had a really profitable younger driver programme,” he mentioned, “and I do not need to be vital of it, however I feel in case you guys are vital of it, perhaps typically the drivers have not been capable of have sufficient time to settle, or perhaps some snap choices have been made.
“We’re making an attempt to use a little bit little bit of science, and that takes a while.
“So we’re taking a look at all the things and finding out, analysing, and time is on our aspect. We’re not in a rush to do something, and I am very assured the precise determination might be made.
“I realise it is irritating for our drivers. I realise it is irritating for everybody else, however we need to get it proper, and we’ll get it proper.”
Interlagos constantly produces thrilling races. Ought to F1 be doing extra to protect racing at ‘traditional’ circuits? – Nathan
F1 faces a troublesome balancing act with the calendar.
It needs a really international world championship. It needs thrilling racing that engages audiences. It needs a superb mixture of circuit sorts for variation and curiosity. And it needs to make cash.
In the case of ‘traditional’ race tracks, that is not all the time a simple equation to resolve.
The principle motive is that the traditional tracks are sometimes in international locations that aren’t ready or keen to pay the big-money charges.
The identical mannequin and restrictions don’t apply in autocracies that need to use races for nationwide self-promotion, therefore they will and do are inclined to pay larger charges.
However F1 is nicely conscious of the significance of traditional circuits, and it needs to make sure it retains the very best of them.
As a consequence, F1 does make compromises that make sure the likes of Monaco, Silverstone, Spa and Suzuka keep on the calendar, even when not yearly any extra within the case of Spa.
On the identical time, the game makes a substantial effort to make new tracks as attention-grabbing as attainable. Some are extra profitable than others, however that is all the time going to be the case.
Take Las Vegas, for instance. It’s removed from the best observe by way of driving problem, and was hardly more likely to be given it’s made up of streets in an American metropolis, but it surely makes up for that with spectacle and kudos.
As for forthcoming everlasting circuits, former F1 driver Alex Wurz – the designer of the brand new tracks in Qiddiyah, Saudi Arabia, and Rwanda, that are each attributable to come on to the calendar within the subsequent few years – has completed his stage greatest to make sure they’re fulfilling and difficult for drivers and promote good racing.
