Over the years, many F1 teams, including Williams and Haas, have had to rely on paid drivers to keep the team afloat.
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This is of course nothing new in Formula 1, because there were even world champions who initially began their careers as paid drivers – for example Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher.
However, the increasing prioritization of such salary drivers has certainly raised concerns about the future of the sport.
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Amid the backlash, Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi chose to pay drivers because he believed they had proven in other series that they were worthy enough to compete on the big stage.
What did the Alfa Romeo F1 driver say?
In an interview with Auto Motor Und Sport, Giovinazzi said that Nikita Mazepin, Lance Stroll and Nicholas Latifi deserve to compete at this level of racing.
“But You have shown in the other series that you can win too. They are here because they deserve it. Of course, names and money help, ”he said. “But they have also proven themselves in the lower categories.”
Lewis Hamilton was one of the drivers who rejected the pay driver concept. The Briton assumed that there was enough talent in the market, and a lack of money should not prevent such talent from trying to win an F1 competition.
Formula 1 F1 – Spanish Grand Prix – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain – May 6, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix REUTERS / Albert Gea
There were different opinions from the drivers. But it is likely that Formula 1 will soon take a position on the use of paid drivers.
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Not an easy start into 2021: Giovinazzi
Alfa Romeo has been one of the most unlucky teams this season. Despite a significantly improved pace by 2020, none of the drivers made it into the top 10 by the last race in Monaco. They constantly saw the check pattern just outside the top 10.
Giovinazzi saw the bright side, however, as he appreciated the drastic improvement Alfa Romeo made over the winter.
Formula 1 F1 – Monaco Grand Prix – Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco – Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi in action during practice REUTERS / Gonzalo Fuentes
“It wasn’t an easy start. Luck wasn’t on our side, ”he said. “But we have to be happy and proud of the work we have done over the winter. The car is definitely better than last year. It wasn’t easy to get into Q2. Now we’ve made it four times in five races. “
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Overall, the margins in the midfield are extremely low. Therefore, Alfa Romeo only needs a few tenths of a second to fight the best midfield teams like Alpine and Aston Martin. But will they make it?
View history: From Cristiano Ronaldo to Shaquille O’Neal: When other athletes mingled with F1 stars
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The post Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi & Nikita Mazepin deserve to be in F1: Giovinazzi defends paid drivers first appeared on monter-une-startup.
