Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsFormula 1

F1 drivers have too much information believes Montoya

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes the modern day F1 driver is encouraged to be lazy in the cockpit and is no longer dependent on his feeling to guide performance.

The 39-year-old Columbian, who spent six seasons in F1 driving for Williams and McLaren before heading to the US and competing in NASCAR, has been racing for Team Penske in Indycar, and won the coveted Indy 500 this year for the second time in his career.

But Montoya's heart has never drifted far from Grand Prix racing, and his view of the sport's current state of affairs remains that of a pure racer.

Montoya believes drivers should be offered more independence and much less assistance once they're behind the wheel in order for their true ability to shine.

"The driver is now lazy," he said speaking to F1's James Allen. "There’s no feel. They see the temperatures are too much, they back off the pace. Look at the tyres, back off the pace, look at the brakes, back off the pace. If you take all that away it becomes a feel thing again."

"If you take away the tyre sensors, the temperature sensors, and just leave the pressures, the racing will get better by 10 per cent straight away. I’m certain of that. The driver and the team just have too much information. It’s OK to have the information in practice, but that information shouldn’t be there in the race for the drivers. It’s got to be a feel thing. Also it will mean that you will start to see the talented people coming through."

Montoya also said the sport needs to engage more with its fan base, providing people with more access, as does Indycar.
"Something that IndyCar does really well is, as a fan when you go to the race, you have access to the drivers. We do autograph sessions, they can go to the garages, you can see the cars, we can't cover anything. It's a completely different mentality, it's designed for the fans."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.