THE PROS AND CONS

THE PROS AND CONS

In Fifty per cent of current Fl drivers have raced in one of the Renault championships. They are clearly vital steps on the Money Tree.

El Even though Formula Renault 3.5 is a step below GP2 it is considerably cheaper than the Fl support series as much as Sl m less a season and some drivers have progressed to the top echelon of the sport without the help of GP2.

In You can compete in Formula Renault 3.5 and be an Fl reserve driver as the race weekends don’t clash the GP2 rounds do.

El With the new car next year Formula Renault 3.5 will take a step closer to GP2 in terms of performance. It will help younger drivers get to grips with powerful single-seaters earlier in their careers and at less than half the cost. El Formula Renault 2.0 is a wellrecognised championship and has been for many years. Alain Prost, Rene Arnow( Didier Pironi and Kimi Raikkonen have all passed through the series.

— As with all single-seater careers there are different routes drivers can take. Adrian Sutil, Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Sergio Perez, Nick Heidfeld, Timo Glock, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello are all proof that you can reach Formula 1 without competing in either of the Renault championships.

IN There’s a performance differential between the top teams and those at the back of the grid. A good driver may not get the break he/she needs if they are in a small team with a small budget. However, this is what motor racing is all about…

— Renault may be adamant that next year’s new F3.5 car will come at no extra cost, but the costs of competing are sure to rise.