Drivers with talent and/or cash: don't turn them down!
Drivers have always attracted F1 fans, they are at the core of the interest for F1, much more than cars and engines, and young drivers tend to attract younger fans, especially if their participation is based on talent, not only cash. Mercedes states that 85% of its followers on social networks (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) are under 35. Young drivers are the future stars of the show, people want to invest in them, and smaller teams remain the best opportunity for this talent pool to learn the tricks of the trade.
There were 11 drivers aged 25, or a lot less, in the Melbourne paddock: Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull), Valtteri Bottas (Williams), Sergio Pérez (Force India), all three of them aged 25, Kevin Magnussen (McLaren) and Marcus Ericsson (Sauber), 24, Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi (Manor), both 23, Felipe Nasr (Sauber), 22, Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull) and Carlos Sainz Jr (Toro Rosso), both 20, and Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso), 17. That is more than half of the field, and it shows that F1 is rejuvenating now, and ready to fully regenerate thanks to the arrival of new talents, although the economic crisis is not over yet. It is a message of hope and F1 bosses should be building on it, as soon as possible, before it is too late.
Four other drivers with talent and cash could easily be accommodated by midfield or smaller teams before the European season starts in May in Barcelona. I suggest four spots on the grid, to start with, to make it a 24-car grid in some races over the summer, because new drivers with their backers and sponsors would be more than ready to pay for a few F1 opportunities over the summer. That’s true even in a smaller team as long as it is for the real thing: a Grand Prix weekend, from Friday to Sunday, and not only a Free Practice session on a Friday morning. And there could be a rotation of drivers, in various teams, for a limited number of European races, which would limit the costs, bring extra cash to the teams involved, and create a lot of buzz around the new drivers. In most cases, the revenue is likely to cover the cost, at least, so a level of profit is almost guaranteed...
Among the obvious names for potential F1 seats with potential backers and sponsors, or just the support of a Top Team or even a motorist, just to help paying the bills, are: Stoffel Vandoorne at McLaren? Ferrari’s Raffaelle Marciello at Sauber? Alexander Rossi or Jordan King at Manor? Pascal Wehrlein at Mercedes? Susie Wolff or Alex Lynn at Williams? Jolyon Palmer or Esteban Ocon at Lotus? Pierre Gasly or Dean Stoneman at Toro Rosso? In all cases, the level of experience and notoriety provided to the young drivers by a full GP weekend, on the track, would be huge, and this would probably help them find new backers and sponsors for the near future...
