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The FOTA/FIA row may have dissipated, but the withdrawal of BMW and doubts regarding the futures of both Toyota and Renault have highlighted the continued insecurity surrounding Formula One. In this light Ferrari's recent proposal - for teams to be allowed to field additional cars from 2010 onwards - can be seen as injecting a measure of stability into the sport.
If approved by the FIA, it would be the first time in a quarter of a century - since the German Grand Prix in 1985 - that any team has run more than two cars in a Grand Prix. And the prospect of seeing three Ferraris and three McLarens on the circuit is an intriguing one. An expanded, more competitive grid would almost certainly result in a better spectacle - at least at the front end of the grid - pleasing fans as well as broadcasters and, no doubt, the commercial rights holders.
A third car would offer a number of options for teams. With in-season testing currently banned, it would be an ideal way to trial out and develop rookie or reserve drivers. Alternatively it could provide 'guest' seats for returning champions such as Jacques Villenueve - currently seeking a drive for 2010 - and Michael Schumacher, whose comeback has been given greater credence with the recent public support of Ferrari's sporting director, Stefano Domenicali.
On the other hand there are political and commercial arguments against the proposal. Unless costs are reduced dramatically, only the major manufacturers are likely to have the resources to field three cars in the near future. If the first few rows of the starting grid are 'locked out' by these cars, as Frank Williams has suggested, where does that leave the independent teams - Williams and Force India, and those joining the F1 circus in 2010? In such a situation their future looks bleak. With fewer opportunities for success and less television exposure, their income from sponsorship would be expected to diminish. By contrast, it seems likely that the manufacturer teams - Ferrari and McLaren, for example - would become even more central to a sport that many would say they already dominate.
Some of these problems could be alleviated if a World Rally Championship-style points system were introduced, in which teams running three cars or more could only designate two as scoring. The smaller teams need not lose out then, as even cars finishing lower than eighth could potentially receive points. Moreover, the designation of the third car as non-scoring would allow rookies to develop in race scenarios without the pressure of having to deliver immediate results. In the recent case of Felipe Massa's injury, it would have enabled a reserve driver such as Luca Badoer or Marc Gené to gain track time in the 2009 Ferrari, so that he could have been race-ready when needed.
Whether Ferrari's proposal is approved remains to be seen. Frank Williams has already stated that he intends to block it, and without the unanimous support of the teams, it will not happen. Thus although from a spectator's perspective three-car teams would surely be a good thing, in political terms it may prove to be unworkable.
Intriguing.
ReplyDeleteI think Frank Williams, rather than just blocking it, should have had a similar idea (Touring car points nomination) and used that as a basis for negotiation.
It would certainly get around the lack of testing and thus opportunities for young drivers to get to grips with the cars. It may also allow, as you allude, the young drivers more time to get up to speed. Long gone are the days of drivers earning their stripes in lower order teams for 2-3 years, every team wants immediate results and that has cost Piquet in particular.
Or how about a DTM style version to save costs and prevent 'testing' by another name and put rookies in the previous seasons car, and allow them to go for points if they can but the cars are checked by the FIA at the end of the preceding season, frozen and checked for any updates which would be illegal. That way the indies should not miss out, being allowed to update cars, but would give good mid order mixed up racing and costs would be fairly low because in essence some cars are 'recycled'.
I think it would be difficult to justify a system whereby rookies were tested in the previous season's car. Year on year the FIA's approach has traditionally been to try to slow cars down, which could mean that the rookies could well end up faster than the veterans in such a system! As a rule I believe that all cars should adhere to the same set of regulations; the sport is complicated enough and the risk otherwise is that fans will become confused.
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