The Formula One seems to be stuck in a pattern that won’t be broken soon. Most of the drivers that were on the grid a couple of seasons ago are still wandering around. It doesn’t matter if you have the talent, or if you’re older you still have the speed. Though, please if your time is come to leave, please leave! However, that is not the tendency in today’s Formula One and that is really a shame. Old-timers who lost their speed and non-talent should just leave. Therefore, the FOM/FIA should consider an option that appears every now and then on the surface three-car teams. Perhaps the introduction of a special Cup should be introduced as well.
It has been a while I watched a complete Formula One season. This must have been in 2018. Since then, it has been every now and then I watched a Grand Prix. Impossible to watch on the Dutch television without a decoder and a way too expensive abonnement from the bankrupted Viaplay. Luckily, there is the F1 TV Pro app for people like me.
Since that last full season a bunch of drivers, I believed would make place for new talent, is still present on the grid. Even returning from their retirement. I understand that some names bring in people, though I don’t believe it will save a sport’s future. Young talent, like it used to be in the days with Minardi, Coloni, Jordan, Ligier and so on, should appear on the grid. The sport will die slowly due to the path the sport chose. I won’t start yapping about the fact the spineless move from the teams regarding new teams. Pathetic and spoiled elite is the only word I have for it.
Anyway, let’s get back to the core of this article the three-car solution for the Formula One. There were times in the Formula One when three-car teams were a thing. There were also manufacturers like March that sold their chassis to anyone willing to build their own Formula One car. However, this chassis use is another discussion I will cover. The three-car solution is the only solution I believe to make the Formula One attractive for the fans and new drivers.
To give the three-car concept a kick-start the FOM/FIA should create a new Cup similar to a young or new driver’s cup. Where every team on the grid will have a third car only for young talent or drivers that haven’t have more than three years of experience in the Formula One. It could be that a young driver already appeared in the grid to replace an injured driver. Age shouldn’t really be a problem. Someone with the age of 28 who only started racing a few years before can be as quick as or quicker than an 18 year old. Having this special cup introduced, like we saw in 1987 with the Colin Chapman Trophy.
I would even pull it even further, from the eleven or twelve teams we will have in a few years three of four of them should hire a female driver. Hence, she should only be chosen for her driver qualities and abilities. I know not a popular statement with some of you. For them there could be created a cup as well. However, as someone pointed me out on twitter it would separate them from the group of drivers. We don’t want the W-series to happen again do we? If you look at the support series, you will see there is some female talent that can reach the Formula One.
Another positivity for the three-car teams is more cars on the grid, more action and more worth for your money. With a beer, costing 7 euro’s and a lame burger 9 euro’s the compensation has to come on a grid filled with cars. Filled with drivers eager to go for the win, ready to have a great race.
Obviously, the best would be unlimited testing like we used to have in the past to give new drivers a good taste of Formula one. However, it seems that is forbidden for eternity and I still believe that this is a bad decision.
