“Many seats are blocked by drivers managed by Vasseur and Wolff”- Former Ferrari driver

“Many seats are blocked by drivers managed by Vasseur and Wolff”- Jean Alesi claims that meritocracy is no longer existent in F1.

Jean Alesi was proud to see his son- Giuliano Alesi driving in Ferrari’s colours at Fiorano. Still, at the same time, he also knows that his son might never make a career in Formula 1.

Alesi who sold his car to fund his son’s pursuit to a motorsport career, eventually announced that Giuliano’s time at Ferrari Drivers’ academy is over because of alleged lack of funds.

The 21-year-old driver is now heading to Japan to make a career over there, and Alesi feels that the east Asian country seems to be the best option for hi, where meritocracy is still a thing, unlike Europe.

“If you look at what’s going on in our part of the world in Europe, nothing is a meritocracy,” he said, as reported by F1i. “All you need to do is pay, pay and pay. I think it’s crazy, and it’s the only sport in the world where you need to pay to play. I think it’s a lot fairer in Japan.”

The driver academy system has become increasingly common in recent years, and Alesi cited the need for young drivers to find the support of an F1 team.

“[Giuliano will] be racing almost every weekend, something that is no longer possible in Europe, unless one pays a lot of money,” he added.

Only drivers of Toto Wolff and Frederic Vasseur making a cut

Soon Alesi didn’t hesitate to take names of people who have monopolized the F1 grid seats; he even talks about the exceptional support Mick Schumacher received from Ferrari.

“Today, you need to be a billionaire to buy a Formula 1 team for your son, or you won’t make it to F1. Many seats are blocked by drivers managed by Vasseur and Wolff. Fortunately, there is Ferrari, which supplies engines to some F1 teams so they can also supply drivers.”

“Mick Schumacher got his seat in Formula 1 also with his Formula 2 title, but without the support of Maranello it would not have been possible.”

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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