Third driver in Formula 1: Bemusing strategy by teams?

Does Buemi have a fair chance for the graduation to race seat?

Although Adrian Sutil didn’t seem to have any rustiness right from his first lap in Formula 1, it would be hard on Buemi to be asked to perform from the onset. It would be a different debate as to what sort of driver is Buemi as compared to the likes of Sutil or even Webber/Vettel, but nevertheless, 2014 would present a massive challenge to a driver, and a team would be forced to pick an active driver then the driver warming up the bench. It would be really hard, but at this point of time, it seems Ricciardo/Vergne have better prospects then Buemi.

Inevitably, it comes down to the argument of the role of third driver within a team, We have seen it in the past, yet the top teams seem to be highly vulnerable about the driver development programme. They don’t seem to have a stable backup whom they can promote in unforeseen circumstances, like injuries to main drivers or driver retirements. The rookies are another aspect and are acting as a spot of bother during the race, where they can’t seem to avoid collisions even though it could have been safely negotiated. It always turns out to be a harsh call for some of the rookies when we hear the stories from their side, but with the lack of preparations, they alone can’t be blamed.

Driver development is an important step that Formula 1 teams seem to be forget. Maybe it’s down to FIA to sanction the introduction of third car for Free Practice sessions. We are not sure if the teams will value the importance of driver development, even after the reintroduction of in-season testing. Teams have turned greedy enough to forget about third drivers. We might still end up seeing main drivers during the in-season testing, but the introduction of a third car might solve the problem. But again, if the escalating costs is an area of concern, maybe it’s time to work on the proposal submitted by the Force India team about the extra tires for Free Practice sessions. Teams need to work on this idea for the sake of Formula 1.

It’s something that we have talked about for a long time, but it’s something that’s never addressed by the FIA or the teams.