Monisha Kaltenborn does not want to label paying drivers

By announcing a few weeks ago their mutual agreement to part ways with Timo Glock and not hiding that it was motivated by economic reasons, Marussia reignited the debate on pay drivers, as some teams have preferred to recruit young, well-funded drivers rather than extend contracts with experienced but penniless drivers: Compared to last year, this year, Formula 1 has lost seven or eight drivers, including a guy who recently stood on the podium [Kamui Kobayashi, editor’s note], analyzes Olivier Panis, manager of Charles Pic, with our colleagues from F1news.ru. It’s a tough sport, and not everything depends on the driver. It’s sad, but it’s reality.

If some indeed bitterly regret that Formula 1 teams give in more to the lure of money brought by certain drivers, Monisha Kaltenborn, director of the Sauber team, wants to set the record straight: « What we see are many partners or sponsors who support drivers from their beginnings. A good example is Sergio (Pérez). He was part of the Escuderia Telmex which is a racing academy. They supported him from the start, and it’s natural that when he enters the pinnacle of motorsport, they come with him. You have so many drivers in the paddock who also came with partners who supported them from the start. We don’t talk about pay drivers in the feeder series because it’s normal for a driver to have partners who support them. Why shouldn’t we apply the same principle in Formula 1? We wouldn’t have all these discussions about pay drivers. »

For the Austrian, it is above all the lifestyle of Formula 1 that needs reforming, as the measures to reduce costs remain timid and marginal: « Of course, it would be good for Formula 1 to pay a little more attention to costs. We need to do something. Over the years, we have seen that we cannot escape the economic context, not just the small teams but the entire sport. In this environment, we cannot always expect to have a high level of commercial revenue from F1. We really need to find a way to respond. »

Monisha Kaltenborn acknowledges, however, that there is cause for concern if the lack of financial support is the real reason that has put some drivers on the sidelines of Formula 1: « It would not be a good development because Formula 1 needs to have the best drivers and not necessarily those with money. But we must be fair to the young drivers who are coming in and not immediately label them as pay drivers. There have always been fluctuations on the grid and no one was harping on about pay drivers. Everyone who comes to Formula 1 is of a high level, and if there is a limited number of spots, then obviously each team looks for the best option. Who wouldn’t? »

Some suggest introducing transfer fees in Formula 1, similar to what happens in certain sports, in order to encourage teams to invest in the most talented drivers with the hope of making a profit when top teams poach them. Although Sauber has historically contributed to the promotion of many drivers who were later recruited by teams like Ferrari or McLaren, Monisha Kaltenborn opposes this idea: For us, the pressure should rather be on us to develop a car that is competitive enough for drivers to want to stay with us. We should be competitive enough for drivers to see their future with us. That’s something we’ve already managed to achieve with drivers who come to us – we don’t seek them out. Everyone who has been with [Sauber] has come to us. That is already an achievement for the team. Now, we need to take the next step.