Formula E driver Mitch Evans believes “ridiculous” politics in Formula 1 has influenced how F1 teams decide their driver line-up and feels he was a victim of that when climbing up the feeder series ladder.
Evans was one of the brightest up and coming talents after he left New Zealand in 2011 to race in GP3, winning the title in his second campaign as a teenager in 2012.
He moved up go GP2, now known as Formula 2, in 2013 and became the series’ youngest ever driver to stand on a podium but was never able to finish in the top three of the standings during his four seasons in the championship.
“The hard thing was getting a seat for F1 tests,” Evans exclusively told Total-Motorsport.com. “I’ve done sim days, been quicker than race drivers and been competitive, but it brings nothing.
“You just need a freak situation to happen. Even trying to get reserve seats, there are guys paying to be reserve drivers. It’s ridiculous.
“When you are really in the fickle of it and know how it works, the sport is demented. Look at Nyck de Vries. He was not going to chance at all for an F1 seat, then he got a free chance when Alex Albon got sick [at the 2021 Italian GP], did a good job and all of a sudden he’s the best thing since sliced bread. He’s the same driver he’s been for all the other years.
“Look at Oliver Bearman. These are good guys but the week before [the 2024 Saudi Arabian GP] he qualified 18th in Bahrain, then he gets a chance at Ferrari.
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