New Possibilities with Third Driver Rule Change

Driver Wanted
By Jamie Makin
April 14 2005

Red Bull Racing has successfully gathered the support of the other nine Formula One teams and pushed through a change to the third driver rule to allow more experienced drivers to run during Friday practice. Today the FIA issued the following statement:

Following a unanimous request from the teams and further to a fax vote of the remaining Formula One Commission members, together with a fax vote of the World Motor Sport Council, the requirement under Article 58b of the 2005 Formula One Sporting Regulations that the third (Friday) driver should not have competed in more than six World Championship Events during the previous two World Championships has been deleted.

As a result, any driver with a Formula One Super License may now run as a third driver on Friday.

This rule opens new possibilities to team SAUBER PETRONAS, who are the only team of the six eligible that have not yet run a third car during Friday sessions. Peter Sauber said the third car would only happen if they could find a driver with funding and experience. That catch is that most experienced drivers were "too experienced" under the old rule. With this rule out of the way, Sauber can now pursue a wider range of skilled drivers with funding remaining the limiting factor.