Michael Schumacher Is Ferrari's Third Driver ?

[CNR]

http://www.paddocktalk.com/news/html...icle&sid=74649

Ferrari president Montezemolo described retired seven time world champion Schumacher as the team's "terzo pilota" -- 'third driver' in English

[Rollo]

The only surprise here is that anyone is surprised. If he's on good terms with management and can provide useful feedback to the technical engineers then there's scarcely a problem is there?

[Garry Walker]

wow

Just out of interest, does that mean that Schumi still has a current super-licence?

Presumably, he would need one to be considered as a 'substitute' driver if one of the race drivers were injured in GP practice and he was called in to cover.

If he hasn't got a current super-licence, then he is 'merely' (word used with a bit of trepidation considering who it is I'm talking about!) a test driver.

My guess is that even someone like Schumi couldn't just fill in a form on the Saturday morning of a GP and get the licence there and then.

[SGWilko]

Just out of interest, does that mean that Schumi still has a current super-licence?

Presumably, he would need one to be considered as a 'substitute' driver if one of the race drivers were injured in GP practice and he was called in to cover.

If he hasn't got a current super-licence, then he is 'merely' (word used with a bit of trepidation considering who it is I'm talking about!) a test driver.

My guess is that even someone like Schumi couldn't just fill in a form on the Saturday morning of a GP and get the licence there and then.

Is it only actual competition that requires a superlicense then, testing does not require it?

Is it only actual competition that requires a superlicense then, testing does not require it?

Testing does not fall under the Super-licence remit. Testing, as far as I know, is not regulated by the FIA except for the limitation on the number of days per year a team can test.

Kimi Raikkonen only applied for his super-licence, which was granted with a performance proviso, after he had tested for Sauber in 2001.

More recently, Marco Andretti tested the Honda without a Super-licence.

[SGWilko]

Testing does not fall under the Super-licence remit. Testing, as far as I know, is not regulated by the FIA except for the limitation on the number of days per year a team can test.

Kimi Raikkonen only applied for his super-licence, which was granted with a performance proviso, after he had tested for Sauber in 2001.

More recently, Marco Andretti tested the Honda without a Super-licence.

TVM.

[Osella]

One of the requirements of the superlicence is that the driver has to compete a certain number of km's in testing, so it's a bit hard to say they need a licence in order to test!
But I would imagine that validating an existing licence for racing is not going to be a problem, after all Williams managed it for Nigel Mansell pretty easily in '94..

[LeonBrooke]

You also need a current contract with a team. If Markus Winkelhock could get a licence after half a day's testing the MSC could get one without trouble.

...so long as he had the current contract.

[Osella]

I don't think that is a problem And you don't need a contract, but you do have to be enterered by the team by 4pm (I believe) on the Thursday before a GP weekend.