I wouldn't know about that. Maybe we should ask Vandoorne, Ericsson, and other drivers who languished at the back of the field in second rate cars. Maybe getting into another series and have some success there is better than being an eternal "also ran" in F1. Unless you win the series outright, you can spend several seasons in F2 that provides good racing and on equal footing. There are also WEC and GT racing that aren't bad to build a Professional career. Why not Indycar? Succeeding in F1 is a lottery IMO.
This sounds about right lol! https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/140168/williams-needs-to-attack-all-areas--smedley Williams needs to make changes in all areas of its organisation if it is going to recover from its disappointing 2018 Formula 1 campaign, says departing engineering chief Rob Smedley. Having taken third in the constuctors' championship in 2014 and '15, Williams slipped to fifth in '16, a position it maintained last year, but this season has slumped to last. It has scored points in only two of the 20 Grands Prix held so far and has spent much of the year trailing the field. While it is working on a recovery plan, Smedley thinks it would be an error to believe that there is one single explanation for what has gone wrong. "There's never one magic bullet is there," said Smedley, who is leaving the team at the end of this year. "In all areas really, you can never stop learning and improving. "I think it would be a mistake to pinpoint one area and say that has to be the sole concentration or that's the sole problem; it's not. "As with anything that's not quite working as well as it should be, or as efficiently as it should be, with any business, with any organisation, it's never one thing.
The difference is that it's relatively easy to go from also run in F1 to other series but not the other way around. For each Hartley you have dozens of Buemis and Kobayashis.
True, and you can also make a career in motor racing, become successful and earn a good living without ever touching F1. I have seen many F1 drivers falling off the cliff and never drive again. I wonder why.
At worst, they can get a job as TV pundits... The fact is that getting into F1 is so difficult that I understand that most drivers grasp the chance when it appears, even if it´s not under perfect circumstances. If it doesn´t work, getting a seat in a Formula E or a touring car is going to be easier with "ex-F1" in your CV.
Many drivers who failed in F1 don't seem to want to drive anything else than a single seater The lower categories (F3, F2) are just feeder for F1, and don't allow ex-F1 drivers to step back. There is a limited demand for TV pundits. I think GT, sports cars and touring cars offer far more opportunities to make a career, than a seat in a minnow team in F1.
Tell me how many sports cars or touring car drivers got into F1 lately. Even in a lesser team. Hartley because the Red Bull connection and there was nobody else available. Wehrlein because the Mercedes connection and he got into lesser teams. And Lotterer just for one race and with the worst team. We´re talking about Le Mans and DTM winners. I understand why so many try a ride even in the worst F1 car, even if they look pathetic from our armchairs running dead last: there is plenty of time to go down the ladder later if that fails.
But why would every driver aim solely at F1, where there is only a limited number of seats? In fact, there are only 3 or 4 top teams offering a chance to succeed, the others are just making up the numbers. How many teams won in F1 in the last 5 years, or 10 years? It's only Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull, with McLaren maybe. Other series have a larger pool and offer more chance to succeed and make a good career. Kristensen, or Lotterer probably never regretted driving in endurance; they didn't seem to miss F1. They became Le Mans stars and probably made a better living than an also-ran in F1. A twice British Touring car champion confessed earning £2 millions a year, when some young drivers in F1 are recruited by Toro Rosso for less than $1/4 million! Some of the Pros in WEC, IMSA or the GT series earn a lot more than F1 backmarkers, and visit the podium more often too.
I think your question can be simplified to the opening sentence. Why would they chase so few seats? Simple, the single most important thing for an F1 driver, over and above even money and talent is the absolute rock solid 100% belief that you are the best in the world. Why do we complain that F1 drivers are ruthless, selfish etc? Because the most important thing is to believe they are better than every single other person on the planet. They have to have that mind set. F1 is filled with elite, type A people at every level. It's the absolute pinnacle of technology, business, planning, driving, marketing EVERYTHING. There are actually dozens, probably hundreds of drivers who set out to do tin tops, sports cars, stock cars whatever. But those with the sole purpose of getting into F1 are the ones who beg, borrow, steal the millions of $$"s needed to climb the ladder. Also, when you're 13-14-15-16-17 years old it's far easier to believe and act as if A) you are the best and B) no one else exists except you or to serve you. I can guarantee that if you've just won your first Formula 4 race as a 15 year old at a cold rainy Snetterton adn get interviewed by Autosport and you say your goal is to get to BTCC or WEC or something you will never ever get an F1 team managers attention, you've already admitted your not good enough. That's why people will take any opportunity to get into F1. Look at Danny Ric. Before there was an opening at Torro Pinko RB put him in an HRT a car and team solidly stuck in last place in both championships. He wrestled that POS around to several 19th place finishes (when there were 24 cars on the grid). By beating his team mates consistently he got to climb the ladder of better teams. That's the way it used to work. Step in, work hard, beat your team mate and outperform the car then get better rides. It's how F1 should, and used to work.
Kubica signs with Williams You have to be really happy for him. They are the worst team but its a great victory for him and others who have had life changing injuries and clawed their way back. I don't think Kubica ever gave up his dream of going back into F1. It may be a PR stunt for Williams but its also a great opportunity for someone who was a well respected and well liked driver 8 years ago before his accident. https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/140224/kubica-agrees-2019-williams-race-deal
It's a PR stunt but I think he's deserving of the chance. I don't expect much. I'm pretty sure Kubica brings money with him as well.
Kubica is being sponsored by PKN Orlen(Oil and Petrol company) that put up the 10 million euro to secure his Williams seat. Williams looks like they are going to have to dig in their coffers for 2019 if they don't get a big sponsor.
[ I welcome that news with extreme caution. I think it's a PR stunt, but whatever. Williams is desperate to get in the limelight these days, for any reason ...
So, the commun deniminator between Sirotkin, Stroll and Kubica is that they are all pay-drivers. Frank Williams made a fortune out of F1, according to a Forbes article a few years ago, so he can surely put his hand in his pocket to support his team.
I don’t disagree. But it’s a great and positive story. They are back markers anyway. And maybe his experiences can help.
If that story pleases both parties (Kubica and Williams), then why not. But I don't expect miracles from it, nor do I think it will improve Williams' lot.
