Checkbook Drivers? No Thanks!

Toro Rosso boss Gerhard Berger signalled that he would not turn to pay drivers in 2009.

The future of STR is shrouded in doubt with Red Bull supremo, Dietrich Mateschitz, planning to sell his half of the team. Mateschitz plans to pull Red Bull’s involvement with its junior team due to end of the customer cars ‘era’. I use the term ‘era’ lightly, given that it has only lasted a couple of years.

Red Bull have no intention of trying to finance too teams. Although, they have gone about it in a much better way than Honda did with Super Aguri. That leaves co-owner and former race winner Berger looking to stabilize the teams future. So far there hasn’t been much talk about an investor. On-track results have hardly helped the situation either.

I have to say, I have a load of respect for Berger in his desire not to touch pay drivers. The idea of people paying their way into Formula One has always gotten underneath my skin. It just isn’t right. Formula One is the pinnacle of single-seater racing. That means we should have the best drivers in the world. Why should someone be able to buy in to that?

Minnow teams have been filled with this sort. Luckily, the past few years have seen this breed of driver die out. Not in its entirety of course. Nakajima to an extent is a pay driver, helping to shave numbers off the Toyota engine bill at Williams. Sakon Yamamoto is another example of a driver who somehow found his way back onto the grid last year with Spyker after a year with Super Aguri. Did he get there because of his brilliant driving talents or the size of his wallet? Pretty much a no brainer there!

In the cut-throat world where money seems to be everything, Berger’s stance is something to be admired. Hopefully come the end of the year he doesn’t find himself having to change his mind.