The debate over pay drivers and the allegedly ruthless, unfair
world of Formula One reared its ugly head once more today as the
newly-rebadged Caterham team traded in Italy's final representative
on the grid, Jarno Trulli, in favour of Vitaly Petrov and his
millions of roubles. Such a swap has been rumoured for a long time
- so why are people getting upset about it?
Luca Filippi, the 2011 GP2 runner-up tweeted
"We all knew this day was going to come. Nobody did
anything about it, probably nobody cares about it. Sad sad
day."
Rubens Barrichello (himself replaced by Bruno Senna just weeks
ago in a financial decision by Williams) tweeted similar thoughts,
stating that it was "sad" that Trulli won't be on the grid this
season, adding that "money is dominating everything".
Stefano Domenicali, team principal of Italy's greatest sporting
institution, spoke of his own sadness that there will be no Italian
driver on this year's grid.
Caterham's decision to end their partnership with Trulli was not
unexpected, having been on the cards ever since Petrov was asked to
leave Renault to make room for the incoming Kimi Raikkonen. The
signs were all there - but Trulli did not move to seek sponsors,
nor did any other team look to offer him a berth. Jarno
accepted his fate willingly this morning, accepting the team's
decision and showing much of the disinterest which marked his final
years behind the wheel.
With the whole paddock seemingly disappointed but essentially
unmoved, the question arises - can you justify replacing a veteran
with a pay driver? The same situation occurred at Williams at the
start of the year, and many accepted Sir Frank's decision to drop
Barrichello in favour of Bruno Senna as pretty much par for the
course. Pay drivers are playing a larger part in the driver market,
but that's not necessarily the fault of the teams. Intense
development demands and an ever expanding calendar mean that teams
have to find money where they can, and if drivers don't bring some
money to the table then they are at a significant disadvantage.
Yes, F1 is essentially selling its heritage, but that's the world
we live in.
If we look at it like that, would you rather have an absence of
Italians on the grid or uncompetitive -or even bankrupt - teams? At
the end of the day the sport's participants have to survive, and
Italy's wonderful racing heritage and cultural charm aren't the
currency needed to prosper in this dog eat dog world. What is
unfortunate is that Trulli was allowed to believe that he would be
driving right up until last week, when he tested the CT01 and
declared it the best day of testing he'd ever experienced. That was
badly handled. But it was business all the same.
Formula One teams are businesses, and without income, they're
gone. As sad as it is, heritage and outright talent took a back
seat - particularly towards the end of the grid - some years ago.
Maybe it's more business than sport, but that's the way it is.
Jarno Trulli isn't the first victim, and he won't be the last.