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Performance
Our experts' guide on how you can become a better racing driver
The old saying 'if something sounds too good to be true, then it usually is' applies particularly well to motorsport. With perhaps the rare exception - Paul Stoddart tells a story that Brazilian journeyman Tarso Marques got his drive at Minardi in 2001 for just $15,000 - motorsport has a high barrier to entry, and for good reason. As a rule of thumb, you only get what you pay for and those who attempt to cut corners are often caught out.
In 1999, Team Penske passed up the chance to replace the injured Al Unser Jr with Le Mans winner JJ Lehto - dropped on the eve of the season by Hogan Racing - and settled upon rookie Marques instead, who unsurprisingly failed to turn around the team's flagging fortunes. Penske duly learned its lesson and hired Gil de Ferran, who promptly won back-to-back CART titles.
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