where will the pay drivers go?

with red bull's purchase of the minardi team almost becoming a reality, pitpass.com put up an interesting article about the fate of the pay drivers.

really, where will the pay drivers go? read the article for some interesting points.

i especially found it funny (weirdly) that the image they chose for displaying 'pay driver' to be alex yoong.

update: based on the helmet, i realized this isn't actually alex. all those magnum and kl stickers made me thought it was alex. this is in fact mark webber; however i am not sure whether webber was a pay driver.


is this how alex yoong (and dare i say malaysian in motorsports) will be forever remembered in formula 1? well, i hope he has a great performance in the upcoming a1 gp. i remember that he did very well in carting after leaving f1. unfortunately, he ran out of sponsorships and had to leave that too.

anyways, many people have debated on the importance of tiny teams such as jordan and minardi in formula 1. personally, i feel they are an important part of the sport. many drivers came into formula 1 through these small teams. while some were horrible drivers, some turned out to be huge stars.

it is just like any other job. if you want to work for the best in the industry, sometimes you need to start small and work your way up. sometimes you even have to do unpaid internship to get noticed. i think it is the same with f1. you've got to start from somewhere. competition is harsh.

currently we have jordan and minardi, with jordan to become 'midland' next season and minardi possibly to become 'red bull team usa'. what i wish to see is that a couple more independent teams on the grid. they may not be challenging the championship, but sometimes i enjoy the competition between the backmarkers. they also have a point to prove.

with minardi gone, we might just miss the potential drivers who just don't have the opportunity. that would be sad.



previous posts:
monza: kimi will win monza
monza: coulthard speaks his mind
turkey: excellent new turkey experience
mid-season: greatest f1 driver
hungaro-ring: one more pole to go
hockenheim: the rain that never came
hockenheim: pessimism says it all for germany
mid-season: 2006 qualifying hopefuls
silverstone: renault vs mclaren
magny-cours: absolute beauty
indianapolis: michelin farce
indianapolis: indianapolis motor speedway
montreal: post-montreal notes
montreal: canadian gp preview
montreal: lopsided mirrors?
nurburgring: ferrari to make or break
monaco: f1 and star wars don't mix
barcelona: the era is all over
imola: from zero to hero
imola: f1 aero upgrades
bahrain: what a joke
sepang: bring out the new car!!
sepang: toyota f1 rev party
sepang: klcc sauber f1 street demo
melbourne: the wait is over!
pre-season: the viking
pre-season: nose job
pre-season: b.a.r. unveiled a goose
pre-season: sweet sauber
pre-season: evolution not revolution
pre-season: sauber ain't coming


[tagged: ferrari, formula 1]