Sirotkin, two steps forward and one step back for Sauber?

Can a driver really be ready for Formula 1 at the age of 17 years old and with limited running in the car? Don’t get me wrong, Sauber’s recent financial boost from Russia is great to hear. I’m glad they are still on the grid, but the subsequent announcement that Sergey Sirotkin will drive for the team next season has produced cause for concern.

(c) Renault

Sauber are a truly likeable squad. Small, tough and the sports underdogs. The paddock is delighted to see them saved from ruin – as am I. However bringing in another ‘pay driver’ alongside Esteban Gutierrez (which looks likely at the moment) won’t do them any favours in the constructor’s championship and I feel it could be two steps forward and one step back.

So I think the first thing to do is to take a look at Sirotkin himself. He is currently 17 years old and should he make his racing debut in March 2014, he will be 18 years and six months old. He started his karting career relatively recently in 2008, working his way through the ranks before graduating to single-seaters just a few years ago.

His first port of call was the Formula Abarth series in Italy for Jenzer Motorsport. He finished 18^th in the 2010 standings and remained in the series in 2011 where he won the European series before finishing as runner-up to Patric Niederhauser in the Italian division. So he obviously has the talent. The Russian then finished third in the highly competitive and emerging Auto GP series last year before finishing fifth and sixth in the Italian Formula 3 European and Italian series respectively.

(c) Octane Photographic

This year he is racing in the Formula Renault 3.5 series for ISR. His best result so far has been second at the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain but his season has lacked consistency up until this point. His ratio of score to non-score results has been three to six and while flashes of speed have been witnessed, it hasn’t been the stand-out season that the likes of McLaren backed Stoffel Vandoorne, Kevin Magnussen and Red Bull protegee Antonio Felix da Costa have had – it is worth mentioning that all three mentioned have also spent far more time racing in single-seaters.

Don't get me wrong, to finish highly in the series mentioned above and score podiums is no mean feat. He obviously has talent to win races and score highly but whether he has the outright speed and experience of drivers like Robin Frijns and James Calado - two drivers who are on the cusp of F1 and I rate quite highly - is where my concern lies.

The Russian investment that is now keeping Sauber afloat is all part of their big plan to get a Russian driver racing on home ground at next year’s Russian Grand Prix at the Sochi circuit. And I’m all for that. I would much rather see the Swiss team continue in the sport and run a ‘pay driver’ – which I feel Sirotkin definitely is even if he is super-talented – but it does raise one concern for me.

Whilst the added finances can help Sauber hugely, the risk of running two inexperienced drivers could be costly to their 2014 constructor’s championship position. Finishing in the top five like Force India look set to do this season can bring huge financial rewards and also bring on additional sponsorship, but can Sauber do that if they have Sirotkin and Gutierrez at the wheel? I don’t think so.

I think the main problems could be developing the car throughout the year with limited knowledge and experience to give feedback alongside getting into trouble and taking time to ease into the season. I could be wrong but that’s my view of it at this moment in time.

Of course the youngster could be the new Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn was inexperienced and only just managed to get his super license before debuting in 2001 and taking the Formula 1 world by storm. That could be Sirotkin but we won’t find that out until he takes to the track. If Sauber have two inexperienced drivers trying to develop a car that – thanks to the added funding – is strong to start off with, Sauber could drop back and lose out in crucial prize money for constructor results. 

What’s even more incredible about this whole story is that Sirotkin could drive Formula 1 machinery before the year is up and potentially even before he turns 18 – although that looks unlikely. His manager recently revealed that the deal does come with FP1 outings which will make him the youngest driver ever to test an F1 car. 

It’s astounding really. The Formula Renault 3.5 racer is eight months younger than me and will be the youngest person to ever drive an F1 car. I know the likes of Raikkonen and Vettel succeeded young but I think he ideally needs a few more seasons in Formula Renault 3.5 or GP2 to really sharpen up his race craft and also get more experience in F1 machinery.

But as we all know now, money is what Formula 1 teams need and this predicament has been around for a long time. It's no new revelation. Sauber needed to survive, they made the decision. You could say that all (or most) drivers on the 2013 grid have paid their way to the team in some shape or form, some just more than others and its usually at the bottom end of the grid.

So could it be two steps forward and one step back? That’s what I think but it’s all up in the air. They could use the extra funds to good use and create a good car but I'm wary as to whether the expected drivers can get the most out of it and progress over the year. What it does also show is that Hulkenberg is pretty much on his way out of the team so he will be hoping that Kimi Raikkonen really performs well to convince Red Bull to sign him for next year, opening up a seat at Lotus, or relying on Massa’s poor and inconsistent form continuing for a Ferrari drive.

Time will tell but it was a risky and crucial move by Sauber. I’m just thankful they are still on the grid; now let’s see how it all pans out.