Nature versus nurture

When I look back at all the drivers who have arrived in Formula 1 over the years, I see some who did so with vast natural talent and others who hustled their way in. But in the world of modern F1 I think the lines have started to blur, because the truth is the latest generation have effectively been ‘taught’ to be racing drivers from a very young age.

In the past, the likes of Mario Andretti or Jim Clark would have started competing in their twenties and forged their own path through the world of motorsport without much guidance. The Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher generations had far more help, with karting to kick them off at a much younger age and driver managers to help with the big issues. But they still tended to learn as they went along without necessarily being guided on a daily basis.