Concern over safety of new F1 teams mounts

F1 rookies Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna make their debuts in the untested HRT car

Mar.10 (GMM) Bosses of the top outfits McLaren and Red Bull have issued differing views about the influx of small new teams in formula one.

Timo Glock in the Virgin Racing VR-01 could be 5 seconds off the pace in Bahrain

After Ferrari issued a scathing denunciation of Virgin, Lotus and HRT, McLaren’s managing director Jonathan Neale on Tuesday called on the sport to support its newcomers.

“We have to try and get new teams off the ground and stabilise them as quickly as possible because we need it in view of the disappointing (team) losses,” he said.

But Neale did express some concern about the Spanish outfit HRT, whose rookie lineup Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok will give the 2010 car its track debut on Friday.

“I’m sure that the FIA will look very closely at it and if there are big gaps in closing speeds and plenty of red flags, then they’ll take the necessary actions,” he said.

Jarno Trulli in the Lotus T127 was 4 seconds off the pace in Barcelona testing

Former McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen, who has switched for 2010 to Lotus, said it is “great to hear” his ex team is supportive.

However, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was less diplomatic than Neale.

“We will just try to stay out of their way,” he is quoted as saying by the Times. “The danger is the time difference is going to be so big – up to five seconds a lap – and the difference in the closing speeds is massive. The potential for them to cause an incident is reasonably high.”

Timo Glock, who last year raced for Toyota but has switched to Virgin, said the criticisms do not concern him.

“I don’t care,” he told the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper. “I think that for the fans and for formula one, it is a good thing if new teams can come in,” Glock added.

2 Responses to Concern over safety of new F1 teams mounts

dude 10 March, 2010 at 8:00 pm

lol very true mr bec – they are ones to talk – very interesting way of looking at it
Bec 10 March, 2010 at 2:31 pm

Oh yeah, new teams are dangerous are they ?

So bits of a Brawn/Mercedes didn’t fall off and nearly kill Massa !
A Spinner didn’t fall off a Renault and left a wheel bouncing around the track !
Renault didn’t deliberately crash one of their cars, endangering the driver, other drivers, track workers and spectators !
And as for Ferrari, they had a driver who DELIBERATELY crashed into other drivers, with the blessing of Luca di Montezemolo, so for one they can shut the **** up !!
Etc
Etc
Etc

I can only imagine the constant attacks on the new teams is out of fear, and that in a few years time they may be taking points away from the fuddy duddy old teams.