More Places On The Grid?

[Victor Broccoli]

I know full well Bernie's rule about there only being 24 cars on the grid. However, I must ask: whenever there's been bidding for an open spot (12th, Tyrell, etc), there's always been a few parties wanting to run.

Now, I understand the monetary decision (the equivalent of a clubhouse with the words "No Admittance" scrawled in chalk)...but wouldn't it be better to have these teams on the grid and let them qualify for their spots?

Think about it. Didn't March bid for the Toyota spot? Wouldn't Just Paul's team been about 3 years old already? Why shouldn't an F3000 team be able to surface for a race or two to run. Why can't a team that runs in another series try and run their home GP?

This year's Silly Season is going to prove this once and for all. There are a lot of established veterans very worthy of a seat. There are a lot of hotshot rookies very worthy of a seat. Unfortunately, there's only 20 theoretically available seats (the two Jag and Toyota seats excepting). There are going to be a lot of very talented drivers shut out because there aren't enough teams. Look at this years testers: Marc Gene, PDLR, Zonta, and Wurz all could justifiably have been starting in Australia. These are all high caliber drivers forced to test. Look at some of the rookies shut out: Sato, Scheckter. It's very likely that Tomas will never really get a shot to prove what he's worth. There's many another rookie driver that is in the same boat.

Seriously. Let there be more than 12 teams, or at least let teams run more than two cars. At least stock cars (NASCAR) let more than the allotted field qualify, and let anyone with a nice bit of talent and the ability to scrounge a car try to get into the race. I'm sure the thrill of seeing a local lad trying to make an impact would be multiplied on such a stage as F1.

Cheers, and sorry for such a rant.
-Vic

[Wrex]

Originally posted by Victor Broccoli
There are going to be a lot of very talented drivers shut out because there aren't enough teams

And I'm betting there are countless others we don't even here about.

You have a point Vic, I personally would love to see 30 cars out there - I mean more cars must = more racing.

That said - F1 is strictly a business for the teams. More teams would decrease the value of their own businesses. Also the other downside - It would spell the end for teams like Minardi, who have enough trouble with the 107% rule, let alone outqualifying another Toyota.

And then there's the points problem again..........

[Minardi fan]

More grid spaces would be good for those drivers who really SHOULD be in F1 racing - ie. Gene, Badoer, Zonta, Sarrazin and so forth. But yes it would mean trouble for the lower end teams. So... :confused:...

[marcus]

Ive always said that this 12 team thing is stupid..sure i can see their points ..money money money..but the fans want more cars at least go back to the old 26 car field to fill out the grid..I have mentioned before about 1987-1992 when we had a bonanza of F1 cars ..especially 89 when there were 40 of them going for 26 grid spots..just brilliant..i used to love finding out who made it and who didnt and there was always the possiblity of different drivers at each race meeting (usually filling out the last 6 spots or so) but at least they were different drivers getting a chance in a GP..it left you wondering and hoping that driver X would make the grid at the next event...now all cars start providing they make the 107% cut..which is fine but these days all the teams are very well prepared and usually all 22 of them qualify..so give us more cars more drivers and a heck of alot more fun ..just imagine all the talk in this forum if we had a time machine and went back to 1989 and had Formula One drivers to talk about...wow..25 new topics every day ...LOL

[Wrex]

Originally posted by marcus
..just imagine all the talk in this forum if we had a time machine and went back to 1989 and had Formula One drivers to talk about...wow..25 new topics every day ...LOL

This site alone would cause a complete overload & shut down of the entire internet

[Tristan]

I can't see the problem with larger numbers of teams. Well, may be saftey, but really!! A change in the scoring system may be in order, though.

[Rob29]

Nothing to do with safety.Only money- teams have created a closed shop. I would like to see 30 cars with the bottom 6 kicked out at the end of each season,to be replaced with the top 6 from F3000.These would become the only drivers teams would be allowed to employ.

[Don K]

Originally posted by Rob29
Nothing to do with safety.Only money- teams have created a closed shop. I would like to see 30 cars with the bottom 6 kicked out at the end of each season,to be replaced with the top 6 from F3000.These would become the only drivers teams would be allowed to employ.

• Suppose one team ends on places 29 and 30 for a number of years, whereas a new team ends on placed 1 and 2 in F3000 for a number of years... Shouldn't the new team have some rights too?
• Who will be the test drivers within your system? And who will be the substitute drivers?
• Who will pay for growing new talents? In your system the top teams will probably stop doing that.
• Are the 30 drivers forced to sign for one of the 15 teams?
• Suppose you've got a 2 year-contract, and you break a leg during your first season, which makes you end the season on place 25. What happens with your contract? Does any F3000-team have the right to take you into it's team?
• Suppose you've got a top team in F3000. Do you get any compensation for the drivers you have to give away each season?
• What happens if one of the 24 wants to quit racing?
• What happens if one of the 6 doesn't want to enter F1?

[Rob29]

Originally posted by Don K

• Suppose one team ends on places 29 and 30 for a number of years, whereas a new team ends on placed 1 and 2 in F3000 for a number of years... Shouldn't the new team have some rights too?
• Who will be the test drivers within your system? And who will be the substitute drivers?
  Why do we need test drivers anyway?Ban all testing and run more races and/or 3rd cars.the so called test driver could race the 3rd car.
• Who will pay for growing new talents? In your system the top teams will probably stop doing that.
  Do they do that now?
• Are the 30 drivers forced to sign for one of the 15 teams?
  They surely have to sign for one of the 11 teams now?
• Suppose you've got a 2 year-contract, and you break a leg during your first season, which makes you end the season on place 25. What happens with your contract? Does any F3000-team have the right to take you into it's team?
• Suppose you've got a top team in F3000. Do you get any compensation for the drivers you have to give away each season?
  Surely the drivers right to move up supercedes any claim by F3000 team?
• What happens if one of the 24 wants to quit racing?
• What happens if one of the 6 doesn't want to enter F1?
  Reserves from 7th pace in F3000.
  No system is perfect!

[Tristan]

Not sure about the promotion/relegation system. The transition between the two would be a logistical nightmare. At what point do you design next year's car?? How do you know if it will have to be F1 or F3000?? It would mean the poorer teams would recieve more expense.

All for more teams though!

[robert2000]

Doesn't restricting the number of teams to 12 "restrict commercial freedom" or something like that. I'm sure if a new team sued the FIA on that basis because they couldn't get in due to the 12 teams rule, I think they'd probably win. Anyway, Mr Ecclestone would almost certainly say yes if a team came along with backing sufficient for several seasons.

[Don K]

Originally posted by Rob29
Why do we need test drivers anyway?Ban all testing and run more races and/or 3rd cars.the so called test driver could race the 3rd car.

Are you suggesting that new material should be "tested" during the race by a driver that is not among the 30 best drivers? Wouldn't that be extremely dangerous?

Who will pay for growing new talents? In your system the top teams will probably stop doing that.
Do they do that now?

Yes. At least Benneton, Williams, Mercedes, ...

Are the 30 drivers forced to sign for one of the 15 teams?
They surely have to sign for one of the 11 teams now?

No, they can stay in F3000 if they want to, waiting for a better offer, or an offer by a better team.

Suppose you've got a top team in F3000. Do you get any compensation for the drivers you have to give away each season?
Surely the drivers right to move up supercedes any claim by F3000 team?

If the F3000-teams don't get any compensation for the millions they've spent raising those talented drivers, they'll probably stop racing.
So in the end, F1 will have a field consisting of the 30 richest drivers...

Don K.

[EERO]

Enough of the minutiae. There is room for more than 24 cars, and the sport would be enriched by more cars on the grid. I'm all for three car teams. Why couldn't hot F3000 drivers race in their home races or test drivers be brought to the grid late in the season to clinch the WCC?