#1 ·
I was watching some highlights earlier today and it got me thinking about how much weight we put on these "prodigy" labels. It feels like every time a new driver hits the scene, the media and the teams go into overdrive trying to crown the next legend before they've even hit their stride.
Don't get me wrong, talent is necessary, but I find myself getting a bit cynical about the whole "developmental prospect" machine. It feels like we're being sold a finished product before the kid has even had a real bad day on the track. I remember back in the day, you really had to grind through the lower tiers and earn your stripes through sheer grit, not just because you had a massive support system behind you from day one.
When we build these massive hype trains around teenagers or twenty-somethings, it feels like we're setting them up for a massive crash if they don't immediately live up to the impossible expectations. It's almost like the industry is more interested in marketing a personality than actually letting a driver mature.
Do you guys think the constant hype around new talent makes it harder for them to actually focus on racing, or is this just how the business has to work now?
Don't get me wrong, talent is necessary, but I find myself getting a bit cynical about the whole "developmental prospect" machine. It feels like we're being sold a finished product before the kid has even had a real bad day on the track. I remember back in the day, you really had to grind through the lower tiers and earn your stripes through sheer grit, not just because you had a massive support system behind you from day one.
When we build these massive hype trains around teenagers or twenty-somethings, it feels like we're setting them up for a massive crash if they don't immediately live up to the impossible expectations. It's almost like the industry is more interested in marketing a personality than actually letting a driver mature.
Do you guys think the constant hype around new talent makes it harder for them to actually focus on racing, or is this just how the business has to work now?