At the end of each year, we have now got a "young drivers' test" - allegedly an opportunity for youngsters to get their hands on F1 machinery, though in practice they work more as an opportunity for teams to test out certain new parts for their 2012 cars nice and early. Why not add in a young drivers' race? It could be after the final test so that all the new teams have their cars ready. Then, each team fields one car, one driver, quick race, can be added to the list that go out on Sky so that the Beeb can have the good races. The benefits are many: 1) We have a better idea of the cars' true pace before they turn up for the 'proper' races 2) Proper race experience for the youngsters - a chance to really put themselves on the F1 map 3) Opportunity for teams to test reliability, fuel loads, tyre wear etc. in race trim Plus it means we don't have to wait so long until Australia! I'll admit to my main desire being the first one - I hate all the speculation that comes from testing - but I reckon this could fly.
Sounds like a good idea, but why not do that instead of the young drivers test at the end of the year?
I can't see the point tbh, as the GP2 series is basically a whole series of young driver races, but in more comparative machinery, and as it'll be a meaningless race how many teams would sandbag? I can't see teams showing their hands pre-season, look at Merc, they left their new car at home so no one can look at the new wing (alledgedly).
I suggest banana peels and spiney shells. Seriously though... With the little testing time that teams have these days, I doubt they need distractions in already busy testing schedules.
Was thinking that it would make that test somewhat superfluous; we might as well abandon all pretence and just make it a standard test. As I said, you could stick it after the third pre-season test, and the only squad not to have revealed their car by then would be HRT or Marussia. The best of GP2 sometimes struggle for pace in F1 (Pantano, Maldonado, Piquet Jr... the list goes on), though I do get the point that it is meant to be THE feeder series. The sandbag point is a valid one but you could also look at it as a good race to attract some potential sponsors - what would the point be in sandbagging? As I said, it was mainly a suggestion to benefit us, the fans, who are allegedly still meant to be important, rather than the teams - though it did have a few specific benefits for said teams.
