Jarno Trulli has hit out at the growing influence of so-called ‘pay drivers’ in formula one.<\/p>\n
It is rumoured that, despite his 2012 contract, the Italian veteran could be ousted by Caterham in favour of the well-backed Renault refugee Vitaly Petrov.<\/p>\n
Trulli, 37, suggested Renault – becoming Lotus for 2012 – suffered last year as the team collected sponsorship dollars brought by Russian Petrov and Bruno Senna.<\/p>\n
“Kubica is a great driver who can get the very best from the car,” he is quoted by La Repubblica, “and because of that they were a dark horse.<\/p>\n
“When Robert was out, that was the end.\u00a0 Petrov was not in a position to lead the team, and Senna showed that he was not good enough.”<\/p>\n
Brazilian Senna replaced the experienced Nick Heidfeld mid-season.<\/p>\n
Trulli commented: “With his experience, Nick scored almost as many points as Petrov even though he (Heidfeld) did only half the season.<\/p>\n
“There is no rule, but it is true that those who pay are less accustomed to suffering.\u00a0 They are less committed,” he claimed.<\/p>\n
“Hiring them is a business decision but in my opinion it’s not worth it,” said Trulli.<\/p>\n
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, however, said the growing debate about ‘pay drivers’ recently has been overstated.<\/p>\n
“For a team it has always been about finding the right balance between financial considerations and talent,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It’s something that is as old as formula one,” Horner insisted.<\/p>\n
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