Martin Whitmarsh laments the "rise of the pay driver"

[Brogan]

There's an interesting article on the Sky site with regards to pay drivers and how Martin Whitmarsh claims it is sad for F1.

For me, I think it's personally sad that there is many pay drivers in Formula 1

While I don't disagree with him, pay drivers have always been part of F1 in one form or another.

He might also want to take a closer look at his own driver line-up too.
Pérez may be being "paid" a salary but if it wasn't for his Mexican backers, he wouldn't be anywhere near an F1 grid.
His career results are testament to that: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergio_Pérez

Having drivers that are around four or five years because they can afford to be there just clogs up the system

So will he be saying the same about Pérez next year?

The double standards around "pay drivers" and "paid drivers who are really pay drivers" is typical of F1 and some of those in it.

http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1...tmarsh-says-rise-of-pay-drivers-in-F1-is-sad-

 

[gethinceri]

He has been living in his own world for the last 54 years and hasn't noticed anyone paying for a seat.
Pillock.

 

[Mephistopheles]

If it wasn't for pay drivers the grid would be cut in half and in theory it could be argued that all drivers are pay drivers be it directly or indirectly by attracting the bigger sponsors to the bigger teams and the number of points they accumulate at the end of the season which brings in bigger prize money...

 

[Bill Boddy]

The difference is that the driver is getting sponsors and prize money because of results, not getting results because of sponsors and prize money.

When Hamilton told Dennis that he wanted to be part of McLaren Dennis told him to come back when he had won something. That is the way it would be in a perfect world.

 

[Brogan]

not getting results because of sponsors and prize money.

Or not getting results, as the case seems to be.

 

[siffert_fan]

Every time the subjects of pay drivers and driver salaries are brought up, I am reminded of 1967, when Chris Amon became a Ferrari team driver and received NO salary, only a percentage of his prize money! Do you think any of today's drivers would be willing to accept such an arrangement for the chance to prove themselves?

 

[ZakspeedYakspeed]

I guess that has been McLaren's issue for many many years.... pay(ing) drivers...

 

[mnmracer]

The only reason this is an issue now is because some popular drivers are out of a seat, not because the new rookies are any more 'pay drivers' than most of the departing drivers. Kobayashi's and Senna's junior careers were in no way notably better than those of the 2013 rookies, nor was that of Mr. Withmarsh's own Sergio Perez by the way.

Until Esteban Gutiérrez, Valtteri Bottas, Max Chilton, Luiz Razia or Giedo van der Garde have shown to be bad Formula One drivers, there is no reason to treat them with such disrespect.

 

[Bill Boddy]

The reason that it is a big issue at the moment is that it looks as though Karthikayan is buying his way into Force India. He may be an excellent driver, it's just that he hasn't got whatever it is that makes an F1 driver.

 

[FB]

I don't think I'd let the cucumber drive me home, let alone a multi million pound racing car.

 

[RasputinLives]

The only reason this is an issue now is because some popular drivers are out of a seat, not because the new rookies are any more 'pay drivers' than most of the departing drivers. Kobayashi's and Senna's junior careers were in no way notably better than those of the 2013 rookies, nor was that of Mr. Withmarsh's own Sergio Perez by the way.

Until Esteban Gutiérrez, Valtteri Bottas, Max Chilton, Luiz Razia or Giedo van der Garde have shown to be bad Formula One drivers, there is no reason to treat them with such disrespect.

Just a couple of things. Bottas's backing came because Williams were keen to give him a race seat which seperates him from the others IMO

Secondly where people like Kobi and Perez are concerned they may have come in as pay drivers but that quickly went out the window. Kobi for instances actually only had a whopping two GP as a pay driver with Toyota before Sauber snapped him up with no backing whatsoever and barely put a foot wrong for 3 seasons so yes people will lament their 'popular' drivers not getting seats because they deserve them. These guys will get complained about until they show they deserve their seats and 50% of them at least never will.

 

[Mephistopheles]

In my humble opinion it is an absolute disgrace that an exciting and talented driver with huge potential such as Kobayashi has not got a seat this season and so in that sense Martin is correct...

 

[mnmracer]

Perez and Kobayashi are the exact proof that the 2013 rookies do not deserve the double-standard hate they receive. Imagine how foolish someone would have looked if prior to 2011, someone would have used every opportunity to spout hate on Perez.

 

[teabagyokel]

mnmracer - No-one has used this thread as an opportunity to criticise or disrespect any of the 2013 rookies, nor did anyone mention any of the "popular" drivers of previous years at any point. Please respond to posts made in a thread in the same thread, and please don't facilitate the descent of threads into having the same argument in different places.

 

[RasputinLives]

Can I just point out that people DID put down on Kobi and Perez when they came in and did so until they proved themselves otherwise however their entrance into the sport didn't meet with drivers who'd done exceptionally well being left off the grid.

No one is sprouting 'hate' because its only F1 not life and death but the arrival of six rookies, some of whom seem to have done very little to earn it, Whilst drivers who have done no wrong have to go home is of course going to annoy people. I don't really think think it matters who they are.

 

[mnmracer]

All these discussions about ‘pay drivers’ have lost ground a bit for me. What we see is that many partners or sponsors support drivers from the very beginning. A good example is Sergio (Perez). He has been part of the Escuderia Telmex, which is a racing school. They have been supporting him from the very beginning and it is natural that when he enters the pinnacle of motorsports, they come along. You have so many top drivers out there who have also brought along their partners who have supported them right from the beginning. You don’t talk about pay drivers in lower series because it is normal that a driver has partners that support him. So why not use the same standard in Formula One?

 

[gethinceri]

An example of this being Parmalat, notably regarding their links to the Diniz family:
http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/spon-008.html

 

[Bill Boddy]

Can it be true that was Diniz a pay driver? Murray Walker's favourite driver?

 

[RasputinLives]

Diniz had so much cash behind him they entered a whole team to get him in F1! Still came alright in the end and was value for money just for when his car caught fire and we had the headline "Diniz in the oven"

 

[RasputinLives]

Caterham have stated they let Kovi down and money was a 'factor' in their choice of Pic and Van Der Garde.

Nice of then to apologise I guess!