F1

What is a youngest age a driver should be before going into F1?

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  • #133941
    Tyler Ferre
    Participant

    This includes becoming a test driver, reserve driver or a main driver for any of the teams currently in Formula 1. This spans on from the recent signing of Kevin Magnussen to McLaren who is only 21-years-old and has very little experience in Formula 1. This also brings me to the question – Does becoming a reserve driver act as a stepping stone into Formula 1?

    #245598
    JamieFranklinF1
    Participant

    How long is a piece of string?

    I don’t think there is any correct age. Look at some of the younger drivers a decade ago – Raikkonen, Button for example. Both were about 20, one of which was coming from GP3, so didn’t have much experience in high-powered cars. Both have done exceptionally well. Granted that they both had the chance to test beforehand, giving them the edge, but it wasn’t their age that was against them.

    Alguersuari felt he was too young, but was it more the fact that he was too inexperienced, due to the lack of testing?

    I genuinely think it depends on the driver. If they have their head on their shoulders and don’t let the pressure get to them, then they can succeed, if not then they’ll probably fail like the rest because of the lack of testing.

    I think that’s why Bottas has done well this season. Whether Kvyat can emulate such maturity will be the deciding factor on whether he’ll succeed, not his age.

    #245599
    Iestyn Davies
    Participant

    I think he just has to be experienced enough to have done well and ideally won in enough junior ladder series to have fully prepared for the rigours of F1. This could include: FR 1.6/F.Ford/F.BMW, FR2.0/F3/FIA F3, GP3, FR3.5, GP2, F1. Usually this happens at about 20 for the youngest guys.

    The older guys (Alonso, Raikkonen, Button, Trulli, Fisichella, Davidson etc.) all karted at the top level internationally until 18, before sweeping up the ladder in two years and jumping straight into F1. Now, top karters graduate a little earlier generally, and spend the next 6+ years going up the junior ladder. Exceptional characters can make it in 4/5 years (Vettel, who himself said he was borderline too young). But now with a lack of F1 testing, a year of testing and FP1s is barely equivalent to jumping straight in to F1 (pre-2009 testing ban, Hamilton joined with basically 1 full season of testing already under his belt).

    Alguersuari was thrown in without testing and it took him a while to get up to speed because of that. His is an ideal test case. Kvyat looks like he could do a similar job to those older guys and Vettel, in making the step up quite well, but with that little testing experience, so it will take at least half a season for him to get up to speed. All the rookies are coming on stronger in the second half of the season, with Bottas revealing a lot of pace in a balanced car.

    #245600
    Kingshark
    Participant

    Age isn’t really significant in most cases. What is more important is experience and good results in younger formula series. Jumping into Formula 1 from anything lower than Formula 3 should not be allowed in my opinion. Drivers should spend a bare minimum of 3 seasons in junior series. First comes Formula Ford or Formula BMW, then GP3 and F3, and a recommended step into GP2 or FR3.5 before a driver should enter F1. Good results in these lower feeder series are obviously mandatory.

    Given that most drivers begin junior series by the age of 16, something like 19 or 20 years old is perhaps the ideal minimum age.

    Growth in maturity can vary from driver to driver, of course. I saw great maturity at very young age from Lewis Hamilton for instance, in his rookie year at the age of only 22. Meantime, Grosjean and Maldonado who were both 26 years old in their first full season of F1, yet extremely error-prone, despite the fact that both participated in more feeder series for longer than Hamilton did.

    Some drivers mature quickly, some mature slowly, and some never do. It’s all about different individual drivers.

    #245601

    I don’t think you can or should stipulate a minimum (or maximum) age limit on anyone’s abilities.

    #245602
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @kingshark – good call, they need some talent and results in lower formula to get a spot. @keith as spot on, you cant give an age, its talent!! If Senna or Schumacher could race F1 at 18 then why not??! But really, not many are ready at this age really!!

    Damon Hill got his chance as a reserve driver at Williams at the age of 30- he had a wife, 2 kids ….. but no job!! He was always being considered a “No.2 Driver” by Williams and Patrick Head (even after Ayrton was killed :( ) he won in 1996! Based on some of his efforts (or lack of) this was an excellent effort in F1!

    Flip that around, and 18 year old gun & fast!! ?? Magnusen for example. If these guys are fast, can race and are in F1 NOT because “we want a GP in our country and we have money” or “Dad is rich and he owns xxxx” then fine.

    Talent should excell !!!!

    Alguersuari

    #245603
    SP
    Participant

    Keith: it seems to be an unwritten rule that older drivers like Sam Bird aren’t good candidates. Meanwhile, the rookies on average are younger and younger these days. Alonso was a (very talented) exception back in the day who had just placed well in F3000 and won World Series by Nissan the previous year. Button’s 2000 season showed he was rough around the edges despite lots of testing. Vettel crashed a lot at STR before his win. We all know what happened with Alguersuari…

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