No place in Formula One for pay drivers

What price does a pay driver incur for recklessly ruining a competitors’ race, perhaps even putting lives in danger? A five-place grid penalty at the next grand prix, apparently.

So many times now, as Formula One has become a sport laden with those possessing the biggest bank accounts, rather than sheer talent.

The established order has been savaged by clueless wannabes, obviously under the impression that they are playing F1 2011.

It could be judged as a harsh call, there have been many ‘pay drivers’ who have ultimately delivered the goods, generally speaking though, they are but a mere safety hazard.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to announce that I will be competing for Ferrari in the 2012 Formula One World Championship, thanks to the good folks at A Bank.”

That’s how easy it is these days.

Speaking of taking opportunities, I’d like to take this opportnity to clarify the title of this piece.

My use of plurals in previous paragraphs is more of a tool to convey the point I’m trying to emphasise, as in fact – the title should really be, “No place in F1 for pay drivers – The Vitaly Petrov Story:”

Take dear old Petrov, and the hapless, contradictingly titled Lotus Renault outfit for whom the supposedly talented Russian races.

The once revered team, who only five years ago, boasted a world champion and claimed the constructors’ title – back to back titles.

Now, they are sucking up Petrov’s roubles like air…

At the detriment of Michael Schumacher, who found out just how much talent Petrov really has at the Korean Grand Prix.

Minding his own business having just pitted, in what looked like being another solid outing for Schumacher, Petrov seemed to devour the rear of the German’s Mercedes into the corner at a ridiculously uncalled for speed, effectively ending both of their races.

And what’s more, as I mentioned off the top of this article, Petrov was viciously branded with a five-place grid penalty, really, the stuff which is going to stop him from severely violating other drivers’ personal space!

This wasn’t the first time that the seven-times champion has crossed paths with the Russian either, having had his race ruined several times this season, either of his own doing or Petrov’s.

The moral of the story, pay drivers have no business mixing it with the big boys, the second they stray from their leash, that’s when things go bad.

I emphasise bad.

Very, very bad!

Bad can be described as many things – the ever trusty WordWeb describes this as “having undesirable or negative qualities”, “very intense” and “diseased” among other things.

I beg to differ on the first count, but I tend to agree with the last two definitions.

The reason I disagree with the first description, is because pay-drivers i.e. Vitaly Petrov, don’t have “undesirable or negative qualities”, their qualities are so bad that they shouldn’t be spoken, almost like Harry Potter characters shuddering at the mention of Lord Voldemort

That is how bad Formula One’s pay drivers, namely Vitaly Petrov, are.

Without going off on a completely irrelevant tangent, the point is that these, so called, elite sportsmen, who cough up $10 million here and there to put their bum in a seat i.e. Vitaly Petrov.

When you have the next Michael Schumacher, or god forgive me, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, waiting in the wings, it isn’t a good look, and one day, it could very easily get somebody killed.

Until pay drivers i.e. Vitaly Petrov, prove me wrong, and win a race, win the title, or simply, don’t put the lives of some of the sport’s greats in jeopardy, the view will remain that there is no place in Formula One for those chosen for currency over credibility…