P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull has made a habit of promoting its junior drivers. Why, questions Helmut Marko, have other teams not done the same?
Helmut Marko criticized the outdated philosophy of Red Bull’s F1 rivals regarding the promotion of junior drivers, emphasizing Red Bull’s success in giving opportunities to drivers from its academy like Verstappen, Vettel, and Ricciardo. Red Bull’s advantage lies in having sister teams like Toro Rosso and AlphaTauri to nurture young talent before moving them to the main team, unlike other teams. Marko praised Toto Wolff for promoting Kimi Antonelli to F1 and Williams for fielding Franco Colapinto, underlining the need for young talents in the sport.
Marko mentioned that Liam Lawson has a chance to prove his worth in the remaining races, comparing his performance to Yuki Tsunoda’s. Marko warned Lawson that Ayumu Iwasa and Isack Hadjar are waiting as alternatives. Marko highlighted the success of junior drivers like Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto, challenging the old belief that only experienced drivers can thrive in top teams.
Acknowledging the risks, Marko stressed that relying on youth like Mercedes and Red Bull Racing have is worthwhile despite the dangers. Marko called for more support at grassroots levels to make motorsport accessible to talented youngsters hindered by high costs, urging FIA intervention to address the financial barriers in karting and all racing classes. Marko emphasized the importance of giving young drivers a platform to showcase their skills after progressing through junior series, advocating for cost control measures from the FIA.
