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Ferrari, Italy and Formula 1: Where Have the Italian Drivers Gone, and Why?
Published: January 15, 2014
But despite being home to F1's most successful team and one of the most famous circuits in the world, Italy has struggled to produce top-level grand prix drivers—particularly in recent years.
In fact, the 2014 season (Caterham's driver decision notwithstanding) will be the third in a row without an Italian driver on the grid.
Aside from the current drought, there has only been one season since the F1 World Championship began in 1950 where an Italian did not start at least one race: 1969. And that year, Tino Brambilla almost made it onto the grid for the Italian Grand Prix, but Ferrari only had one car available, opting to give the drive to Pedro Rodriguez.
On the surface, the current situation for Italian drivers seems quite odd, given the deep motorsport tradition in the country. So, what are the underlying reasons for it?
One is the current financial crisis, which has hit particularly hard in Italy. With so many F1 teams struggling with the increasingly bloated costs of the sport, more of them are looking to sign drivers who bring sponsorship money with them. As Italian businesses continue to struggle, they do not have the spare cash to support the country's drivers.
Davide Valsecchi, Lotus' third driver in 2013, is a perfect example. He is a talented driver, having won the GP2 championship in 2012, but he was passed over for Kimi Raikkonen's seat when the Finn missed the last two races of the 2013 season. For 2014, it seems Valsecchi will be out of F1, one of only two GP2 champs (along with the reigning title-holder, Fabio Leimer) never to race at the sport's highest level.
In a recent interview with F1passion.it, Valsecchi said that:
Today, quality doesn’t matter that much, to get a seat one just needs the bu...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Formula 1
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