The F1 rule change that could help new talent flourish

As Europe finally becomes part of the current Formula 1 season after six events spread over the world, it’s fitting the venue should be laden with heritage: Imola evolved from public roads in the 1950s into a permanent course. Italy’s multiple
Le Mans winner and brief F1 racer Emanuele
Pirro feels he never quite cracked the track himself, despite winning there in touring cars, but he does have fond memories.

“As a fan,” recalls Pirro, “before I started racing, I always saw it as a special racetrack with elevation changes and a very peculiar layout that made it different from the others. It’s a circuit where I never really performed very well but I really like it. It’s very technical and the way it’s been developed you still have this old-school perception of keeping its personality as it was before.”

Friday favourite: Why there's more to Imola than its tragic past

There will also be a massive amount of Ferrari support, with the factory just an hour’s drive away. Fans will be absorbing the atmosphere but also discussing Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 drive for Ferrari. While Pirro feels it’s a good decision, he’s aware not all his compatriots think the same.

“I think there are mixed feelings in Italy,” Pirro confirms. “I’ve read some negative comments; I’m not saying all negative but normally a new Ferrari driver is a hero immediately. It’s not in line with past opinions on drivers for Ferrari such as Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, who were received positively.

“But I do disagree; it’s a fantastic opportunity for Ferrari and for Charles Leclerc to learn more, and somebody of the personality of Lewis can contribute to put things into a better order. Ferrari is complicated in a number of ways; emotionally, culturally and so on. Lewis can help build an even more constructive environment.”

Despite his deep Italian heritage, Pirro feels the blend of teams in the UK can create an advantage that rivals such as Ferrari and Sauber, based in other countries, need to focus on.

“Much of the strength of British teams is the exchange of human resources,” he says. “By mixing and exchanging knowledge and culture you grow faster. If you open the door to people from the British environment it is a plus to import knowledge and assess yourself.

Pirro thinks he never truly mastered Imola although he enjoyed success in tin-tops after his F1 career with Scuderia Italia petered out

Photo by: Sutton Images

“That’s why changing drivers can be good even if there’s no doubt over their talents – because you have to assess the qualities of people with you. How do you do that if you never change them?”

Pirro’s experience of five wins and nine consecutive podium finishes at Le Mans in the early to mid 2000s, as well as titles in the USA, have contributed to a wide view on the world of motorsport; just like Hamilton he’s a fan of motorbikes and raced one for the first time last month at Goodwood, one of his favourite venues. He is also keen to help young racers grab the chance to move up into F1 and has a clear idea of how a rule shift might help.

“What could be changed in F1 is the way you give points for the constructors’ championship,” Pirro explains. “Right now we have both cars counting, which in the old days did represent the value of the team more than the driver contribution.

"If you have a youngster who will probably become an even better competitor than this experienced driver in a year or two, right now nobody takes the gamble" Emanuele Pirro

“Having two cars scoring when reliability was an issue was rewarding those that were more reliable. Now reliability isn’t an issue but, by having both cars counting, it means the other driver, the one who performs less, is still crucial for the acquisition of those points.”

In Pirro’s opinion, teams are hooking up with experienced second drivers for regular scoring to secure a financially lucrative higher step on the constructors’ ladder. Instead, if only the best-placed car of the pair scores it would provide the opportunity to offer a seat to a less experienced yet talented youngster who may become a future star. An occasional mistake would be negligible to the title points and would allow us all to see new entrants.

“Reliable, established drivers such as [Sergio] Perez have given what they know and they’re very efficient because of their experience,’ says Pirro. “They cost not so much because they don’t crash a lot and score the points but they don’t give sparks.

“If you have a youngster who will probably become an even better competitor than this experienced driver in a year or two, right now nobody takes the gamble because the championship point or two or three you miss today are so crucial. If you didn’t have the risk of losing valuable points, you could bet on younger drivers. I really think they should give it a thought.”

Early in the season we saw how brilliantly Oliver Bearman stood in for Carlos Sainz in Saudi Arabia – but we’re also witnessing a close battle between midfield teams for an extra point or two in the constructors’ race. A system change as suggested by Pirro could open the door to a new fleet of future heroes.

Bearman's excellent performance as a last-minute sub showed that drivers can produce the goods despite limited preparation

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images