Does FIA/FOM have duty to provide a drive in F1 for F2 champion?

[John S]

How about a guest car scenario paid for by FOM, say to the tune of £20m, and piloted for the year by the F2 champ, or runner up if No1 gets seat anyways.
I reckon it could be worked by adding a car to one of the current teams (yes a 3 car team). Any team outside the top 3 finishers of the previous year could to apply to run the car and a simple pick out of the hat would decide if more than one team applies. No constructers points but driver can score.   

Maybe 3 car teams are a no no at present but if the F2 series is to truly be regarded as the F1 feeder series the reigning champ should get a guaranteed seat in F1, after all they can't continue in F2.

 

[guest3164]

I like the idea to an extent.  It should be the case that F1's feeder series winner gets a place in F1 the following year.  But then there are those drivers who do it for about 5 years before winning and you end up questioning their level of deserving for a seat (ie, Maldonado).  But you cannot discriminate so that 'could' be an issue.

The best thing would be if there maybe another 2 teams in F1 and the finances were better shared out amongst all teams so that smaller F1 teams could more realistically take a punt on the F2 winners/runners up without having to resort to those in the feeder series with the biggest budgets.  It might also mean people like Vandoorne have more hope of a second chance. 

But I do agree the winners of F2 really ought to get some form of seat in F1.

[Jericoke]

Does any other team sport give a guaranteed entry to anyone?  As long as F1 teams exist, they have to be allowed to choose their own personnel.  A team run by FOM/FIA will necessarily be problematic in terms of preferential treatment.

I don't see any reason why winning a championship, even in a 'feeder' series, should guarantee anyone anything.

We've all seen that feeder series success isn't always an indicator of top level success.  There is so much more to being an F1 driver than simply hopping into a cockpit on a Sunday afternoon.  It is a grind, and some drivers enter too early and are destroyed.

[cosworth151]

IndyCar's Road to Indy support system now gives the Indy Lights champ a guarantee of at least 3 IndyCar race starts the following season.

Rather than spend the £20m on a separate car, give the F2 champ a £20m "scholarship" to buy a ride for the following season. The driver could then cut the best deal possible, and the money would probably still end up with one of the lower funded teams.

[John S]

I can see what you mean Cos, but I think a stash of money to buy a drive will just push up the pay driver market and they can still be outbid.

Jeri I'm not suggesting FIA/FOM have any day to day control they simply put up the money and allow an extra car on the grid each year. The chosen team run the car exactly as they do for their other cars, same chassis, same engine, same pit crew back up. 

[Scott]

First instinct on reading the headline is to type “No”.

But I think it would be productive to give some sort of support to the F2 Champ, be it financial or some sort of incentive for one of the back markers or midfield teams to offer reasonable chance at a race seat.

[Jericoke]

I can see what you mean Cos, but I think a stash of money to buy a drive will just push up the pay driver market and they can still be outbid.

Jeri I'm not suggesting FIA/FOM have any day to day control they simply put up the money and allow an extra car on the grid each year. The chosen team run the car exactly as they do for their other cars, same chassis, same engine, same pit crew back up.

It may up the 'pay driver' market... but it also means that teams looking for a cash infusion can go for a talented driver that isn't necessarily bringing any baggage.  While the quality of pay drivers seems to be increasing, the quality of the backers themselves seems to be on the decline (how many missed payments have there been over the last few years?)

I do like the idea of the FIA putting up the money as a reward for the driver, in place of setting up a team.

I know you're suggesting that the FIA/FOM would sponsor the team, but then be 'hands off'.  They can't even seem to stay impartial when it comes to Ferrari.  No matter how hard they try to seem to be fair, people won't buy it.

Especially now that F1 has invited official gambling into the sport, they have to appear fair above all else.

[Alianora La Canta]

If Liberty had a team in F1, then I'd be OK with them guaranteeing a seat for the top F2 driver to not hold a F1 seat elsewhere by a certain date.

Otherwise, I think this would merely result in F2 getting more expensive and more talent getting shut out in favour of people who can buy experience.

[Monty]

If the winners of feeder series are the obvious choices as reserve drivers can I point my learned friends to a suggestion I made on another thread:-
I think every team should be forced to run their Reserve driver in 4 races per season, twice in each car. It would not materially affect the WDC (each 'main' driver still has the identical number of races to accumulate points). However, the teams would want to have a good reserve driver to ensure good manufacturers points. This might result in teams keeping reserve drivers on merit even if one or both of their main drivers are 'pay' drivers.

[Alianora La Canta]

If the winners of feeder series are the obvious choices as reserve drivers can I point my learned friends to a suggestion I made on another thread:-
I think every team should be forced to run their Reserve driver in 4 races per season, twice in each car. It would not materially affect the WDC (each 'main' driver still has the identical number of races to accumulate points). However, the teams would want to have a good reserve driver to ensure good manufacturers points. This might result in teams keeping reserve drivers on merit even if one or both of their main drivers are 'pay' drivers.

Only if that talent makes enough difference to make up for losing the money. Unfortunately that's becoming increasingly difficult to do.

[John S]

If the winners of feeder series are the obvious choices as reserve drivers can I point my learned friends to a suggestion I made on another thread:-
I think every team should be forced to run their Reserve driver in 4 races per season, twice in each car. It would not materially affect the WDC (each 'main' driver still has the identical number of races to accumulate points). However, the teams would want to have a good reserve driver to ensure good manufacturers points. This might result in teams keeping reserve drivers on merit even if one or both of their main drivers are 'pay' drivers.

A problem I can see Monty is that Teams will all put a reserve in for the more processional or strategy/tyre limited races so we could see half the real drivers missing from some races. 

[Jericoke]

If the winners of feeder series are the obvious choices as reserve drivers can I point my learned friends to a suggestion I made on another thread:-
I think every team should be forced to run their Reserve driver in 4 races per season, twice in each car. It would not materially affect the WDC (each 'main' driver still has the identical number of races to accumulate points). However, the teams would want to have a good reserve driver to ensure good manufacturers points. This might result in teams keeping reserve drivers on merit even if one or both of their main drivers are 'pay' drivers.

A problem I can see Monty is that Teams will all put a reserve in for the more processional or strategy/tyre limited races so we could see half the real drivers missing from some races. 

A bunch of rookies with everything to prove and nothing to lose in an otherwise processional snoozefest?  You've sold me, this must happen!

[cosworth151]

I'd bet that the reserve drivers would end up driving the races where the team got a major power train penalty.

[Jericoke]

I'd bet that the reserve drivers would end up driving the races where the team got a major power train penalty.

Conversely, they might end up in the race where the power unit is nearing it's end of life, and absorb a DNF, protecting the top drivers from facing penalties.