Series boss aims to stem amateurs!

[pink69]

Stefan Ratel agrees we me over the amount of Amateur drivers in the FIA GT series. He said the series needs more professionals and has conceded that there are too many amateurs. Ideally he would like to see one car from each team with 2 full paid drivers. here here! This will hopefully raise the profile of the series and bring in more sponsorship so that there won't be the need for so many paying drivers. I agree totally!

[Adam43]

Just bought Autosport at lunchtime?

I see that this is along the lines your previous thread.

It surprises me that Ratel doesn't remember who has got his sportscar series where it is now. After the demise of the 3.5l series the BPR series, which was almost exclusively ameteurs rescued it and gave us something to watch. They then again helped out with the blip that happened with GT1 a few years back. And this is without going back to the Group C days (and earlier) to consider the role of the amateur.

There simply aren't enough professional drivers out there to fill the 50 odd 3 car teams for Le Mans and all the other series out there. This partly because there isn't enough cash to fund all these drivers and teams. The only way to get full grids is to have people paying for drives.

Sportscar racing has never had (and never will have) grids full of professionals. Even F1 can't manage that and at least the sponsorship there does get profiled.

I am happy with the current situation. These drivers are all doing something they love (and say so and don't moan!). Most of them are pretty good. And they manage to talk about and convey the sport with passion and excitement because to them it isn't a job it is a sport.

You are obviously a keen Autosport reader. What about the driver profile a couple of weeks back (May 9th 2002) of Bob Garretson - a privateer. He won Daytona and Sebring in a Porsche 935 (and is a top bloke!).

One final thing I will say is this: A driver will more talent will always have an advantage - he will be quicker!

Anyway, thanks for the sportscar news. It's great to get it - don't have to wait till I get home to read it. Cheers

[Truckosaurus]

Surely the amateur drivers will now be paid a nominal £1 to drive in the race.

[Edd]

Professionalism is usually good for a series, but there's no reason for amateurs not to continue, as many of them are extremely good.

However, Nicolaus Springer is beginning to irritate me.

[Graham Goodwin]

And who was one of the early, wealthy privateer drivers in the BPR - Stephane Ratel!

[egor]

Perhaps if a driver want's to compete in a top level championship he should have to prove himself before he is allowed to race?
Example - In Le Mans you have to prove you can race at night during wednesday or thursday qualifying, before you can compete in the 24 hour race.
I know its not as simple as turn up with your money and a new licence and hey presto there's your Porsche sir! You do have to compete in different categories and get signatures on your licence to upgrade, before you can obtain your international race licence.
So should the championship (which ever one), hold pre-season are you good/fast enough try outs to prove both amatuers and professional drivers are up to the job?
With the out come being that all drivers should be up to a minimum standard (107% in formula 1).

[Adam43]

Graham, that made me choke on my cup of tea!

[Adam43]

I think at Le Mans there are some rules about completing enough laps in practice and also setting a time within a percentage of the quickest in your class.

This has to be done during the dark practice as well as the daylight practice. I can't remember the details, but the percentage is more than 107% (as it should be at Le Mans with the many different cars).

If I remember rightly Allen Lloyd failed to qualify a couple of years ago because of this. I think they had some sort of car trouble which prevented him from setting enough laps in the dark (not sure though...)

[egor]

Le Mans does state that you have to comlpete a certain number of laps day and night for drivers. But does the other race series gt's / sports cars etc set a minimum standard?
I'm sure in the last few years a couple of drivers have come close to not qualifying at Le Mans, due to no night time running in qualifying because of car problems.

[Osella]

Maybe a way around the pro-am thing in the FIA would be to force teams to be more tactical, eg if the pro sets the grid time, then the am must start the race, and vice-versa.