As do they really Give 'em Wings? And what happens
when they Fly to Close to the Sun?
Red Bull Junior Team
Currently eight Formula 1 Drivers have made
it all the way thru the Junior Team ranks to Red Bull Racing, which Claudio'
denoted many Moons ago as the B-I-G BULLZ', albeit one's since been Demoted
this season back to thou 'lil bulls, aka Scuderia Toro Rosso.
With a further six Junior members having driven
for thou Toro Rosso Hondre' B-Team, which has now seen its second seat swapping
with former Red Bull F1 Drivers returning to its ranks. Not to mention that
only Carlos Sainz, Jr. remains in Formula 1 today.
As the Junior Team scheme began in Europe
Wayback in Gory 2001! Although I first learned 'bout it when 'Ol Hollywood',
aka Danny Sullivan led Red Bull's American Driver Search, with Scotty thee
Goose' Speed ultimately landing in f1 in '06.
While it's first Formula 1 graduate was the
long forgotten Christian Klien, joining Jaguar in 2004; Y'all remember him?
Other Red Bull graduates were Vitantonio Liuzzi and Daniil Kvyat,
who's led a most charmed life under Red Bull's employ, now on his third stint.
Whilst the three most successful Junior Team
members to Date are 'lil syd Viddle, aka Sebastian Vettel, Danny Ric', nee
Daniel Ricciardo and Maximus Hothead', aka Max Verstappen, who've all won F1
races. With Vettel being the only World Champion, which he claimed All Four of
his F1 World Championships with.
Meanwhile, current Toro Rosso drivers Pierre
Gasley is licking his wounds after being sent back down to thou 'lil bulls alongside
Kvyat at Mid Season's Break, in favour of Toro Rosso F1 rookie Alexander Albon
being promoted to Red Bull as Verstappen's newest Junior Birdman'; Err team-mate.
Yet how stable will both of the Red Bull
Driver line-ups remain in 2020? Since Red Bull Desperately needs to Shore Up its
No. 2 seat alongside Verstappen in order to better compete in the coveted Formula
1 Constructors Championship.
which means possibly a non Red Bull Junior
Member will partner Verstappen next year?
Hmm, Can Yuhs Say Thee Incredible Hulkster',
nee Nico Hulkenberg? which would ARSE-Sumedly see Albon return to Toro Rosso
and Monsieur Gasley being thrown out when Der Helmut' (Marco) wants some more
Hot water for his Bubble bath; Yo Rubber duckies', better look Out!
Although Der Helmut' has apparently Ruled Out
Hulkenberg's services, who now seems that the second Alfa Romeo Racing seat is
his only F1 chance to remain on the Grid in 2020. And I'd Hazard guessing that
Albon will retain his Red Bull drive alongside Verstappen next year...
Currently, the Highest Profile Junior Team
member arguably is IndyCar's Pato O'Ward, who's Disappeared to Japan's Super
Formula series, along with ex-DTM Champion Lucas Auer, nephew of some Austrian
ex-Formula 1 Driver named Gerhard Berger.
While Japan's Yuki Tsunoda, racing in this
year's FIA Formula 3 Championship has just won his first F3 race at Monza in
the F3 weekend Sprint Race. and naturally aims to drive for the Honda powered
F1 Team one day.
Ferrari Driver Academy
Thou Prancing Horse's Driver Academy
reportedly began in '09 and was born out of the Scuderia's previous endeavour
with loaning out Felipe Massa to Sauber for three years before calling him up
to partner some Chap named Michael Schumacher at Ferrari in 2006.
As other Ferrari Academy Drivers include the
late Jules Bianchi and Sergio Perez, before the latter joined McLaren in 2013.
With the latest member to graduate to Formula 1 being Charles Leclerc, who's
now become the first Academy member to Drive for la Scuderia.
As this year's Bumper Crop of Prancing Horse
Junior Drivers is Headlined by somebody named Mick Schumacher. Along with the
likes of Giuliano
Alesi, son of another former Ferrari Pilote' named
Jean Alesi.
Renault Sport Academy
Due to its multiple changes of Ownership,
this Driver Development Scheme has had a magnitude 'O names, beginning life as
the RF1 Driver Programme and then Renault Driver Development. Not to mention
it's multiple iterations of various Lotus Renault entities .With a trio of its
Debutante 2002 Class becoming Formula 1 Drivers, i.e.; Heikki Kovalainen,
Robert Kubica and Tiago
Monteiro.
Interestingly, three Alumni have scored one
Grands Prix victory apiece, with Kovalainen winning the 2008 Hungarian Grand
Prix at McLaren. Kubica capturing the '08 Canadian GP for BMW Sauber, and
Pastor Maldonado at Team Willy', claiming Williams F1 latest Grands Prix W' at
Barcelona six years ago, upon winning the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix from Pole
position.
Other past Renault Driver Academy members to
reach Thee Big League, aka F1 include Jerome d'Ambrosio, Lucas di Grassi and Romain Grosjean.
While a few other members of notoriety
include Ben Hanley, now an aspiring IndyCar Driver racing for the fledgling
DragonSpeed racing team. Along with former IndyCar racer Ho-Pin Tung.
While sadly, two of its former Alumni have
seen tragedy in their respective careers. As FIA Formula 2 Driver Anthoine
Hubert was Killed in the Formula 2 Feature race at Spa Francorchamps this year.
And Juan Manuel Correa, appointed as an Alfa
Romeo Racing Development Driver this year - who Unintentionally Collided with
Hubert, has emerged from being placed in a medically induced Coma to Aid in his
recovery from multiple crash injuries suffered in his Head-on Shunt. Was last
known to be fighting to keep his right foot from amputation!
Whilst le Reggie' Aims to further inspire Hopeful
Junior Drivers by announcing intentions to promote one into F1...
Mercedes Junior Team
Mercedes Benz hasn't had a whopping number of
recruits to its Junior Team, with just three names on its books prior to 2019.
Beginning with Pascal Wehrlein in 2014. Followed by Esteban Ocon the following
year, and then George Russell, who is the programme's latest member to graduate
to F1 and is still part of the Mercedes "Family."
As Russell won last year's FIA Formula 2
Championship for ART Grand Prix, ahead of Lando Norris and Alexander Albon - before
graduating to Formula 1 in the Woefully Underperforming Williams F1 outfit this
season.
With the most recent appointees being a triplet
of Unknown Drivers currently toiling in Go Karts and Formula 4. While Esteban
Ocon apparently is No longer a Mercedes Junior member upon moving to Renault
for 2020, replacing the aforementioned Hulkenberg alongside Danny ric'...
For
the Conclusion of this ever Mushrooming No Fenders tome, see; F1: How Well Do Driver Development Programmes Work? Especially for the Midfield Runners?
