'F1 not always best option for Brazilians'
Felipe Massa and Rubens Barrichello, have said more should be done to support new Brazilian drivers on the road to Formula One.
Jan.20 (GMM) The president of Brazil's auto racing federation is not sure it is true that "F1 is always the best option" for the country's rising drivers.
Confederacao Brasileira de Automobilismo (CBA) president Cleyton Pinteiro's comments follow the criticism of well-known F1 figures like Felipe Massa and Rubens Barrichello, who have said more should be done to support new Brazilian drivers on the road to Formula One.
Brazil has a rich history of F1 drivers, with Ayrton Senna considered perhaps the sport's all-time great, Nelson Piquet and Emerson Fittipaldi also winning titles, Barrichello holding the record as the most experienced driver and Massa also enjoying a long and successful Ferrari career.
That's because burgeoning drivers like Luiz Razia and Felipe Nasr have stumbled at the final hurdle to F1, as despite the strong Brazilian economy, both were priced out of the market for race seats in the past couple of years.
Pinteiro, however, insists that F1 is not the be-all and end-all of top motor sport.
"Today, Brazil is a reference in almost all of the categories worldwide," he told Globo Esporte.
"We have strong national motor sport, which pays well and gives the drivers a return for their sponsors.
"Luiz Razia and Felipe Nasr are not absent (from F1) because they lack talent. F1 is not always the best option," Pinteiro argues.
"We have several Brazilians racing in several global categories, which unfortunately is not properly recognised.
"Do a search for who is the current vice-champion of the (German touring car series) DTM. Did you know it is Augusto Farfus?
"A Brazilian won the Indianapolis 500 and another (Brazilian) driver fought for the (2013 Indycar) championship until the very last race," he added.
"The world of motor sport is not limited to F1," Pinteiro insisted.
Share Or Save This Story
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
Pirelli chief calls for radical F1 overhaul
Which modern Formula 1 driver raced for the most teams?
Rubens Barrichello wins NASCAR Brazil championship at first attempt aged 53
How ex-F1 racer Rubens Barrichello is still winning races at 52
Nike could return to Formula 1 for first time since Michael Schumacher era
Charles Leclerc: Ferrari must learn from Red Bull to improve F1 race strategy
How the Bahrain GP in Malaysia exposed Red Bull’s hidden resurgence
The unselfish anchor behind Jack Aitken’s first IMSA GTP title, Earl Bamber reflects on 2026 campaign
How Hurricane Isaias may impact NASCAR's Charlotte race weekend
Why Red Bull's 'crazy' power unit success matters so much for F1
“Am I confident? Probably not” – The unprecedented challenge Singapore is throwing at F1 drivers
Why Red Bull's 'crazy' power unit success matters so much for F1
No denying it now – the one reason why F1’s ‘horrible’ start in Malaysia could be a good thing
The greatest F1 campaigns with no wins
Three kings: F1's generational stars shone at Sepang
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments