F1 has least-experienced driver line-up since 2004

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March 7, 2013 at 6:55 pm by Keith Collantine

The most highly experienced field F1 has ever seen at the start of a new season lined up on the grid at Melbourne in 2011.

Two years on the loss of some of the sport’s longest-serving drivers means the combined experience of the F1 field is at a nine-year low.

The last two seasons have seen the departures of Rubens Barrichello (F1′s most experienced driver ever with 322 starts), Jarno Trulli (252 starts) and Michael Schumacher (306 starts).

Meanwhile five new drivers will make their first Grand Prix starts next weekend: Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Gutierrez, Giedo van der Garde, Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton.

The level of experience in the F1 field is trending upwards but there are periodic drops, of which this appears to be one. The greatest occured in the mid-nineties when several highly experienced drivers’ careers ended (mostly out of choice with one sad exception in the case of Ayrton Senna).

However this year’s grid has started more races on average than every other season prior to 2004 (pictured).

Drivers’ experience in round one

This chart shows how many drivers were on the grid for the first race of each season, and the average number of starts they had made in previous world championship races.

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/charts/stats.csv

	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Drivers	21	20	17	17	22	15	16	10	16	22	16	20	15	16	20	16	18	23	18	23	25	21	19	25	23	22	22	24	24	24	24	26	26	26	25	25	21	26	26	26	26	26	26	26	26	19	22	22	22	22	22	22	20	20	20	22	22	22	20	24	22	22	22
Average starts	2.85	3.6	7.53	11.35	12	11.2	15.81	27.2	19.75	15.45	21.94	16.6	26.47	31.5	23.6	34.75	32	31.3	37.39	36.57	30.72	24.86	28.05	31.84	35.39	36.68	44.05	50.92	52.29	54	42.83	47.85	45.96	43.04	56.56	61.12	55.1	58.58	63.35	62.58	64.8	61.65	66.85	45.62	37.15	47.68	51.68	50.09	60.5	67.09	65.95	64.23	73.15	68.65	80.55	87.54	79.5	79.95	88.35	75.5	96.95	81.32	74.86

Of course what this doesn’t show us is how much testing mileage the drivers have covered, which is especially important for rookies. In the era of unrestricted testing it was not uncommon for new drivers to arrive in the sport having completed over 10,000km of running. Each of this year’s new drivers has less than that.

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79 comments on F1 has least-experienced driver line-up since 2004

xivizmath (@xivizmath) said on 7th March 2013, 23:34

F1 has least-experienced driver line-up since 2004

Ah-ha! So that explains why I feel 2013 feels different from every other season I was ever about to watch.

Sheo said on 8th March 2013, 1:28

I really want to know what Rubens and Michael are chinwagging about.

And, is it just me, or hasn’t Webber aged a day since that photo was taken?

- The Next Pope said on 8th March 2013, 4:14
  
  Hmm.. or has he always been old-looking? It boggles my mind.
  
  - Aish Heydrich (@aish) said on 8th March 2013, 9:16
    
    Hahaha. Win.
    
Shimks (@shimks) said on 8th March 2013, 5:33

Oh, God: Ralf Schumacher. Please don’t remind me.

- Ben (@scuderia29) said on 8th March 2013, 12:54
  
  he wasnt that bad was he? 6 grand prix wins is more than can be said for a lot of drivers
  
FunkyDevil (@funkydevil) said on 8th March 2013, 11:11

well hope this least experienced lineup gives us great season to watch

The Limit said on 8th March 2013, 14:30

Personally I like the idea of having new drivers in the sport, despite the fact that some may feel they are not deserving of the opportunity. Its easy to become nostalgic. Many were excited by the prospect of Michael Schumacher’s return three years ago for all the obvious reasons, or Rubens Barrichello becoming the sports most experienced driver. These were all good headline grabbers, but the eternal issue is that there have only ever been so many seats at the table.
Sadly in days gone by, drivers rarely lived long enough to be classed a ‘veteran’. I remember Jackie Stewart saying that if only ‘four drivers were killed in a season it was classed a good year’, such was the lack in safety. The knock on effect ofcourse was that the sport had a higher turnover in drivers than it does now, although the sport was more akin to the Battle of Britain than a racing series. Atleast, judging by Stewart’s accounts.
Thankfully, these days are long gone along with the hay bales and other obsticles such as trees, ditches, and the occasional telegraph pole that used to line our racing circuits unprotected limits. But with that, has come longevity.
Drivers now, allowing for talent ofcourse, have a lot better odds of staying in the sport as long as Rubens Barrichello did. That would have been unthinkable years ago, but it is a fact now. This only makes it all the more difficult for young drivers trying to break into Formula One, and almost impossible if they don’t have the financial backing. This problem is as old as the sport itself but is a problem that still persists.
I can remember when Fernando Alonso was paying for his drive at Minardi back in 2001, and look how that turned out. Even Aryton Senna had to cough up some dough to drive the Toleman back in 1984, so it goes to show just how difficult a journey becoming an F1 driver really is. Many extremely talented drivers have missed out on F1, but I will not turn my back or pass judgement on the ones that do. Especially when I have yet seen them turn a wheel!

coefficient (@coefficient) said on 8th March 2013, 14:46

Question. If Chilton stacks up well against Bianchi or even beats him what does that say about the 2 rookies? Discuss.

sato113 (@sato113) said on 8th March 2013, 15:28

so which rookies have the most 2013 pre season mileage? (excluding young driver tests etc.)