Three Car Teams: The Way Of The Future?

There is an argument going on in the paddock.  The prospect of three car teams is again making headlines in the media.  Of course, there are two side to this argument, one for and one against.

On the pro side of the argument we see teams like Ferrari and McLaren.

They figure that allowing teams to run three cars instead of two appears to be a good idea. It would put more cars on the track – and those most likely to run more cars will be the ones with the best kit, meaning greater competition at the front of the field.

Plus, F1 teams had been allowed to run more than two cars in years past.

That’s fine in principle, but how well it works in practice depends on how teams embrace the concept. If Ferrari brought three F11s next year, all the the latest modifications at each race, for Felipe Massa, Robert Kubica and Fernando Alonso, we’d see some mighty racing.

"I think if we then attached the third car to some regulations that encouraged some of these very competent but non-F1 experts to participate I think it would create some interesting spectacle and public interest. Apart from the greats that we already have in our sport it would be fantastic for Sebastien Loeb, Valentino Rossi, Jimmie Johnson or whoever to be participating in Formula 1. I think it would be natural for them to consider the opportunity and it would be fantastic for F1. I've got no doubt that all of those guys have got incredible talent and they would, if they turned their mind to it and gave themselves enough focus and time, be very competitive F1 drivers."  Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo was quoted to say.

Three-car teams will shift the balance of power further towards the biggest teams with the greatest resources. Part of it is simple mathematics: with two-car squads at least four outfits have to score points every weekend – with three-car teams the top eight places could be filled by cars from just three teams, with one car to spare.

The argument in terms of costs is more complex. Although it would be more cost-effective to run three cars instead of two, it would increase the total costs of each team. This again would hit the smaller teams hardest.

A view of the future?

"I prefer three McLaren and three Renault to three whatevers.We feel it is for the benefit of Formula 1 and it is better to make sure the biggest teams have three cars because that's what people want,"  Montezemolo went on to say, "The small teams? Honestly, I feel it would be better to have the opportunity of running a third car rather than seeing cars that would struggle even in GP2, it's an idea we will put forward again strongly for the future,"

On the con side of the argument, we see teams like Williams fighting.

Three-car Formula One teams would “not be healthy” for the competitiveness of the sport, according to Sir Frank Williams.

He believes that the prospect of a couple of major manufacturer teams running three cars that were all competitive would only result in the front of the grid being locked out for the rest of the field.

“If you have two or three elite teams with great resources and almost unbeatable cars, they will occupy the first 4½ rows on the grid," Williams was quoted as saying.

"If you're team number five in the pecking order you have no chance of getting near the front of a grid.

“It's not healthy."