What Are They Doing In F1?

[DimitraF1]

Barichello, coulthard,ralf,trulli, they race so many years,whats left to prove? waiting for the best team to catch them?no way and they know that...
they like publicity? they like money?they like driving?i see absolutely nothing to gain so many years ,ok they won some races but thats it! now what?

[BeansBeansBeans]

They do a job they love and are paid hondsomely. If teams are still prepared to employ them, why on earth would they leave? Many teams see benefits in employing experienced drivers. Signing David Coulthard was, in my opinion, a very shrewd move by Red Bull.

[Caroline]

I have often wondered about Ralf Schumacher. No..really I have. He just hasn't really done much in recent years. I know that behind the scenes an awful lot of development work takes place and he must have an input, but surely Toyota have test divers to do the bulk of the work. Olivier Panis is worth two Ralf Schumachers in my opinion.

I would have also added Fisi to that list.

[DimitraF1]

caroline you taste panis and you know what he deserves? If that was truth then why they have ralf in the cockpit and not panis?

[Caroline]

I seem to remember Panis wanted to retire.

[jens]

Oh dear, another bashing thread for experienced drivers.

IMO the problem in F1 is not "old drivers filling precious seats", but the problem is that for youngsters it's too easy to get used to driving in F1. I find it bizarre that a rookie comes and matches a top driver already on his debut and then automatically the seats of 30+ drivers are under huge threat. Something must change...

[raphael123]

Oh dear, another bashing thread for experienced drivers.

IMO the problem in F1 is not "old drivers filling precious seats", but the problem is that for youngsters it's too easy to get used to driving in F1. I find it bizarre that a rookie comes and matches a top driver already on his debut and then automatically the seats of 30+ drivers are under huge threat. Something must change...

Why? If a 20yr old can match or beat a 30yr old, why shouldn't they be under threat? Makes perfect sense to me

[555-04Q2]

Why? If a 20yr old can match or beat a 30yr old, why shouldn't they be under threat? Makes perfect sense to me

Seconded

[keysersoze]

Not everyone can be world champion material. Those drivers are still damn quick.

[jens]

Why? If a 20yr old can match or beat a 30yr old, why shouldn't they be under threat? Makes perfect sense to me

Yep and that is the problem IMO. Of course it's interesting to see new stars coming to F1, but that process has been too rapid in recent years.

What I mean? When for example Alesi, Irvine, Salo, Frentzen and Panis retired (just a few years ago!), then the reaction wasn't "Oh thank goodness they are at last gone!!!", but more likely people were a bit nostalgic "sad to see such a good driver retiring." And they were all 35+, when they retired. Well - haven't noticed such attitude these days!

Now drivers have hardly got over 30 and even if they are not partered by a rookie, who matches (or is at least close to) them, they are still disliked in some way.