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[myownalias]

With the first lap crashes over the weekend, it does beg the question of whether teams should be allowed change drivers mid-season. Especially putting a completely inexperienced driver in a race seat. Obviously there are exceptions, injuries to drivers requiring an enforced driver change is fine but teams should still have to use a registered reserve driver. If nothing else, having rookie drivers on the grid is a big safety issue as in the case of Grosjean and Alguersuari have never driven an F1 car before first practice. Would the first lap incidents have happened if more experienced drivers were in control of those cars that took out the current world champion and world championship leader! I believe that teams should only be allowed to change drivers in the closed season unless injury forces a driver change!

[Amanda]

With the first lap crashes over the weekend, it does beg the question of whether teams should be allowed change drivers mid-season. Especially putting a completely inexperienced driver in a race seat. Obviously there are exceptions, injuries to drivers requiring an enforced driver change is fine but teams should still have to use a registered reserve driver. If nothing else, having rookie drivers on the grid is a big safety issue as in the case of Grosjean and Alguersuari have never driven an F1 car before first practice. Would the first lap incidents have happened if more experienced drivers were in control of those cars that took out the current world champion and world championship leader! I believe that teams should only be allowed to change drivers in the closed season unless injury forces a driver change!

It wouldn't be as much of an issue if they'd just drop this no testing rubbish.

[darwin dali]

With the first lap crashes over the weekend, it does beg the question of whether teams should be allowed change drivers mid-season. Especially putting a completely inexperienced driver in a race seat. Obviously there are exceptions, injuries to drivers requiring an enforced driver change is fine but teams should still have to use a registered reserve driver. If nothing else, having rookie drivers on the grid is a big safety issue as in the case of Grosjean and Alguersuari have never driven an F1 car before first practice. Would the first lap incidents have happened if more experienced drivers were in control of those cars that took out the current world champion and world championship leader! I believe that teams should only be allowed to change drivers in the closed season unless injury forces a driver change!

It wouldn't be as much of an issue if they'd just drop this no testing rubbish.

[McLaren]

With the first lap crashes over the weekend, it does beg the question of whether teams should be allowed change drivers mid-season. Especially putting a completely inexperienced driver in a race seat. Obviously there are exceptions, injuries to drivers requiring an enforced driver change is fine but teams should still have to use a registered reserve driver. If nothing else, having rookie drivers on the grid is a big safety issue as in the case of Grosjean and Alguersuari have never driven an F1 car before first practice. Would the first lap incidents have happened if more experienced drivers were in control of those cars that took out the current world champion and world championship leader! I believe that teams should only be allowed to change drivers in the closed season unless injury forces a driver change!

What if at the start of the season a rookie driver causes 4 crashes in 6 races for example?.Would not contradict everything ?

Don't get me wrong I know what you're saying but its a tough one to call really.

As stated before there should be testing anyway.If anything its dangerous having to put new bits on the car untested,that itself could cause accidents.

[hypertek]

^that is true, these rookies, and everyone else will have to learn the cars limits for the first time during race weekend.

[cap-dude]

Mentioned this before. Create test sessions on a friday, where only drivers who are not competing in the race weekend are allowed to drive.

That way, drivers like Grosjean would already have enough experience from driving on fridays. Ferrari wouldn't have this problem with Badoer, because he would already be up to speed with friday testing, or they would have known he was too slow already. That would help solve this whole issue of in-experienced drivers, and switching drivers mid-season would be much less of a problem.

[Gilles 27]

Changing drivers mid season is a must if you are unfortunate enough to have employed Nelson Piquet

[JamesD89]

With the first lap crashes over the weekend, it does beg the question of whether teams should be allowed change drivers mid-season. Especially putting a completely inexperienced driver in a race seat. Obviously there are exceptions, injuries to drivers requiring an enforced driver change is fine but teams should still have to use a registered reserve driver. If nothing else, having rookie drivers on the grid is a big safety issue as in the case of Grosjean and Alguersuari have never driven an F1 car before first practice. Would the first lap incidents have happened if more experienced drivers were in control of those cars that took out the current world champion and world championship leader! I believe that teams should only be allowed to change drivers in the closed season unless injury forces a driver change!

It wouldn't be as much of an issue if they'd just drop this no testing rubbish.

I agree. Can anyone name another sport where you're banned from practicing between competitions?

[vaptin]

indeed, in many sports testing between events is a crucial part. Anyway using reserve drivers doesn't mean they'll be any good, at least these young drivers have gp2 or something similar, which I suppose is the closest you can get at the moment.

I'm getting fed up of having to constantly say we need in season testing, all the fia do is push their own agenda and don't give a damn about the other parts and factors which banning in season testing effects.

[McLaren Fan]

To be honest, I can't believe there's even a topic on this.

[Gaz]

Changing drivers mid season is a must if you are unfortunate enough to have employed Nelson Piquet

or sebastian boudrais.

[Amanda]

...or Badoer.

[myownalias]

To be honest, I can't believe there's even a topic on this.

Why not? this is a current and valid topic!

In-season testing would obviously help but that's not what the teams have so they just have to deal with the hand that was dealt. But I do wonder what the figures are for cost savings by not having in-season testing? probably not that much in the scale of things. Frankly the Piquet situation is a joke because Briatore knew he wasn't upto the job at the end of last season but put him in the car regardless. In the light of recent events concerning the Singapore GP, I wonder if Piquet was fired for other reasons than performance reasons, Renault IS very heavily weighted towards Alonso!

Anyway, a reserve driver will at least have had experience in an F1 car unlike GP2/F2 drivers who have never driven an F1 car. Teams should have a competent race driver as reserve driver, maybe someone that drives in another comparable series as their reserve driver so they are currently racing and also have F1 car experience. Unlike the Badoer situation where he has been sat on the sidelines, never racing at all for 10 years, it's the lack of racing that has meant that Badoer is so woefully off the pace.

[texasmr2]

Simply put and imho: YES!

[Jabberwocky]

I vote put new drivers in a 3rd car and let it be done that way