F1 drivers could be compelled to swap teams throughout next season, giving them a chance to drive every car on the grid, if a controversial proposal from the FIA is adopted.
F1 drivers could be compelled to swap teams throughout next season, giving them a chance to drive every car on the grid, if a controversial proposal from motorsport’s governing body was adopted.
The tifosi might scoff at the idea of the struggling Alex Yoong, Enrique Bernoldi or drivers from Ferrari’s rival teams behind the wheel of the Scuderia’s cars. But if the FIA had its way, the last driver to drive the most dominant car in the field might end up winning the world championship.
This idea was one of the proposals that were sent to the F1 team bosses by the FIA this week. In addition to the weight handicap system, which CARtoday.com reported on earlier this week, it is likely to come under ferocious criticism when discussed at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.
FIA president Max Mosley is apparently not too overly impressed with weight penalties being introduced, but like F1 guru Bernie Ecclestone, believes that something drastic needs to be done to win back falling TV audiences.
“A large number of very radical proposals have been circulated to the teams for discussion,” Mosley told . “Some of these are very speculative ideas and we have to talk to the teams about them, but we discuss these things. There is an argument for each driver driving each car once. This has an advantage because then we would see who are the best drivers”.
“And if there are means to make it more interesting for the public then we have to talk about them. I think everyone who is really concerned about F1 will agree we are facing a difficult situation. The ballast idea is not my preferred option, but what might emerge at the end might bear little resemblance to what is being discussed,” he added.
Ecclestone recently said the idea of introducing a weight handicapping system was not designed specifically to penalise Ferrari, but to create closer racing for the sport’s fans.
The top three teams – Ferrari, Williams BMW and McLaren Mercedes – have all made it clear that they are against handicapping those drivers who are successful.
But in an interview with Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Ecclestone said: “I am thinking about the fans, the people who pay a lot of money to attend a grand prix and who don’t want to be in the position of knowing the winner before the start of the race.
“I want a world championship where the big three teams will battle lap after lap, race after race.”
Ecclestone argues that over the course of a season, the weight penalties would even out between the top drivers.
“What would happen if in 2003 Ferrari has a weak machine and McLaren a great one?” he said. “The rules are not against anyone but in favour of a greater balance.
“I hope we would arrive at the last race of 2003 with teams on the same weight. That would say that the ballast was a great idea,” Ecclestone added.
The proposals will be discussed at the next F1 Commission meeting on October 28. It is highly unlikely, however, that the team will reach consensus on the proposals.
