Being a good development driver vs a good "racer"?

[Mattracer]

With the advancement in electronics and by association, driver aids, is the emphasis in current times in landing an F1 drive, let alone a really competitive one, on being known and regarded as a top development and test driver rather than a traditonal hardened and experienced 'race' driver coming up through junior categories? Is that jouney spawning a dying breed? Teams want drivers who know the protocols, the strategies as they apply in contemporary F1, the technical and developmental input is vital to any consistency in success especially in top teams. Thoughts?

[marcus]

techno geeks can apply it seems

frankly if you can get ya head round the technology then you have a good leg up these days , but if you race hard but dont know squat about computers it can make it pretty hard.

when will Bill gates get his call up to F1 ?

[RWC]

f1 these days doesn't need good development drivers at all due to all the feedback they can get from the electronics.
what they DO need to be is FAST and consistantly so.Very few drivers are both-even the great mika was guilty of that guilty of that sometimes.

There is a popular myth that some drivers are better at development (eg. DC) but that's usually a hidden insult.A way of saying they're no good for anything else.
But it's not true anyway-There is no point whatsoever of putting a slow driver in the development car

[GTRMagic]

Having watched an ex-F1 driver download his thoughts, feelings and input last weekend, it certainly is a load better than someone who has only driven sedans....

Being able to tell the team engineer how the car feels all round the track, and whether the understeer or oversteer through certain corners could be fixed by changing braking markers isnt half bad to watch.

The $64 question from here is having a good engineer to interpret what the driver is saying, and translating it into positive car change... presuming there are both the equipment and therefore the dollars to try new elswisho bits on the veehickle...

[Gt_R]

I have to say i disagree with RWC.

There's a reason why drivers such as Michael, Oliver, DC were around and had a good rep.

Electronics can tell you alot, and technology could provide a substantial substituition for a good developement driver.. bbut still, electronics can't tell you how good the car feels, it doesn't take into account nor adapt a car to a driver.

DC had been at Mclaren for centuries, despite being consistently outpaced by his teammates Mika/Kimi...one of the reason was that he is a solid developement driver.

And if Ddevelopement Drivers are not important, why do top teams hire up to 2 drivers, and a big team like Mclaren wanting to keep Oliver Panis when they could go for a cheaper alternative?

And Luca Badoer may not be a superstar F1 racer..but he's a good developement driver, providing useful feedbacks to Ferrari/Bridgestones about new parts.

Some guys are pure racers..Give them a car and they just race the wheels off it...pass the finish line and they park up before heading to the pub.

Some guys are brilliant developement drivers. They can provide accurate feedback, give constructive suggestions, etc...Afterall, the engineers are not in the driving seat.

There are guys who strive at both. And there are guys who can't do any. Some may be good at one but bad at the other..

It would be quite sad to brush of the significance of a driver's ability to develope a car.

[Mattracer]

Originally posted by GTRMagic
Having watched an ex-F1 driver download his thoughts, feelings and input last weekend, it certainly is a load better than someone who has only driven sedans....

Being able to tell the team engineer how the car feels all round the track, and whether the understeer or oversteer through certain corners could be fixed by changing braking markers isnt half bad to watch.

The $64 question from here is having a good engineer to interpret what the driver is saying, and translating it into positive car change... presuming there are both the equipment and therefore the dollars to try new elswisho bits on the veehickle...

A new appeciation for racing things non-open wheeled? The telecast described it as a step up from F1 to Supercar.

Very articulate bloke, and emminently marketable and promotable. FPR, you have chosen wisely????????:confused:

[freud]

I think a lot depends on great communication skills. Some drivers have great communication but are not fast enough.. others are very fast in the car but cannot really communicate well with engineers to set-up their cars.

I believe there are two drivers on grid, at this moment, with the perfect blend of good communication and fantastic on-track speed:

Michael Schumacher and Mark Webber

[grumpy1]

freud agreed but the two drivers mentioned also have another quaility which makes them above average.
They can take a car thats not the best in the feild and make it look good.Alonso also has this ability but the absolute master was Senna.

The Grumpy1

[Mattracer]

No argument from me on Senna, but what ARE top teams, any team in F1, looking for nowadays as a matter of priority? Speed, technical ability/feedback, or a driver that is young enough yet still has a pedigree in junior fomulae to be moulded and trained into their modus operandi. Obviously you'd answer "all of the above" but how often does a driver have all these attributes balanced with a young(ish) age that still contains maturity and a willingness to learn and be trained up for the specuifics of a team? For example, Kimi is almost the perfect McLaren driver in this age- modest, quiet, efficient and hard-working, kind of "grey" yet significant and striking just like their colours. And Finnish.... How often does this come along and for how many teams?

[grumpy1]

Mattracer you forgot cool under preasure and a set of big brass ones.Also once in the car no regard for anything but going as fast as they can regardless of what they are in or how well set up it is.I remember M.Webber saying at a promo event before the AGP that driving a car that feels like its on rails is no fun it has to have a bit of spice in it.

The Grumpy1