As the calendar year moves into its second half, we come to what motor racing calls its “Silly Season,” when there arises lots of conjecture about who will drive for who in the next year or two. Actually, I think the silliest part of it is the name. Why “silly”? It is a natural reshuffle and realignment of driver positioning, as well as sponsor requirements, mostly logical, but giving journalists and paddock gossips the opportunity to speculate and fantasize about what might happen, or in many cases what they would like to happen.
For the drivers, always seeking to better their position, upon coming to the end of a current contract there is the opportunity to move to what they perceive to be a better team, with a better status. At one time the ideal was to sign as a No 1 driver, which meant that one was afforded the best of the equipment and had first call on any spare car, or newer component. In these days of bigger, richer teams there is less need of that status as there is usually plenty of everything to go around. So any No 1 driver label is both a reassurance of driver value, and to some extent an ego booster.
No Subscription? You’re missing out
Get immediate ad-free access to all our premium content.
