Third F1 by a team in a certain GP? Montoya introduces the idea

The FIA ​​said at the beginning of the year that it wants to open an application for teams interested in joining Formula 1 in the future. The announcement came as questions arose over the future of the Porsche-led project, but the two entities, Andretti-Cadillac on the one hand and Calvin Lo, the Hong Kong billionaire, on the other, expressed their desire to integrate the discipline. After the failure of negotiations with Red Bull.

Again, the issue of increasing the number of teams and therefore the size of the grid is not new and has intensified in recent seasons due to the growing popularity of Formula 1, as well as the gradual consolidation of the stables’ finances. By multiplying measures with economic impact, primarily the budget ceiling. The last structure to arrive at the World Championship was Haas in 2016, and before that three teams entered the paddock in 2010, but on less solid grounds, all gradually disappearing from the discipline landscape without impressing.

gave an interview in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, Juan Pablo Montoya is not really in favor of Formula 1 racing beyond the current ten teams. And for him, increasing the number of cars in this way will be experienced first of all as a risk for the actors on the spot: “What does it add? If you’re watching an F1 race, half the cars aren’t even on TV. Let’s say you’re McLaren, Aston Martin or Alpine. “As soon as another team comes in, the TV coverage will drop. Join you. Because you are an average platoon team.”

“Because you don’t win races, you’re underrepresented. Now are you going to take 10% of that TV time and give it to someone else? So when you sell yourself to a sponsor, you are offering 10% less exposure for the same amount of money. And [vous recevrez] less money related to television at the end of the year. Why would you say yes? What is ? Let’s not forget that F1 is a business. There is a sports side, but it is also a business.”

“Everybody in this is trying to make money. Everybody who works there, from the drivers to the engineers to the executives, they’re all there to do a job. And do the best you can and win races, yeah, that’s what it’s all about. It’s great, but it’s a job, business, so why are you thinking more cars [serait une bonne chose] ? Was it better before when there were 24 machines on the network?

The added cost of driving one more car in two races won’t break anyone’s bankroll.

Juan Pablo Montoya

But then how can we hope to, say, get a generational update or simply give drivers a chance to prove their worth if the number of private tests doesn’t change? “I think you can force teams to use a third car for half the races. Or do you count [de manière à] runs 22 cars every week. So you think a team should have two races a year with a young driver, I don’t know. You name a driver at the beginning of the year and this youngster has to run two races a year. Then you give the youngsters a chance to develop, experience racing and learn.”

A look at what’s historically relevant and resurfaced from time to time, no longer limiting teams to two cars, but moving to three single-seaters at the heart of the debate. But doesn’t that go against the idea of ​​saving for teams? “They already have the chassis. They already have everything. The extra cost of running another car for two races isn’t going to break anyone.”

“And you can say maybe after the first five races, when everyone is still building. [des pièces pour] new cars and delayed [avec la production] and in the limit [en matière de pièces de rechange]. For example, you can start around Barcelona. It should be mandatory: “two or three times a year you should get into the third car and give the young man a chance.”

“If you have a really good car, you can choose a strategy where you can take points from somebody because it’s a good track for you. If you go to Monza and let’s say Ferrari is the fastest car at Monza. You bring the third car to Monza and you give a young person a chance to race, or the young giving you more free practice time. […] Go: “Okay, one driver from eight races [titulaire] Will not participate in Free Trial 1. So eight races, not two [séances d’essais].”

Interview with Erwin Jaeggi