Formula 1 wants to put more F2 drivers to work on Fridays

40

Formula 1 will seek to provide more F2 drivers with mileage in Friday's free practice sessions in the future, says Ross Brawn.

F1's sporting manager believes putting junior drivers through their paces on Fridays, in addition to giving them an opportunity to shine, caters to a young talent's need for experience in the event that one should step up to a race seat on short notice.

"Putting someone into F1 who hasn't got the experience is a risk," insists Brawn.

"You have to prepare them as well as possible, maybe doing the Friday morning practice. Those sorts of initiatives are important before they get exposed.

"If they have a problem [and] they get into F1 the wrong way, then their careers could be damaged.

Leclerc and Giovinazzi still have all to prove - Arrivabene

"I don't think replacing Felipe [Massa, who was replaced in Hungary by Paul di Resta after falling ill] with an F2 guy would've been very fair, because they would've had very little time to get into the car.

"There's a better structured way of doing it, but that's the sort of thing we want to do.

"Friday practice - we've started looking at more positive initiatives to get the young guys to have an opportunity to drive - that sort of thing is what's being discussed at the moment."

Brawn also underlined the benefits of having a progressive move up the motorsport ladder with Formula 3 and Formula 2 part of the competitive single-seater pyramid.

"Wouldn't it be great if we had a young guy coming in, he was a star in F3, a star in F2 and then he does a Verstappen-like entry into F1?

"That's what we want to see," Brawn told Autosport.

"By having those races at an F1 Grand Prix, the fans can start to engage with them. It has so many benefits - commercially and from a sporting perspective - that we've got to make it work."

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.