Red Bull praised for handing out 'risky A-team' chances

Reigning Formula E world champion Pascal Wehrlein has praised Red Bull for having consistently taken chances on young drivers, something he feels many were against during his F1 career. 

Wehrlein competed in the 2016 and 2017 F1 seasons for Manor and Sauber, respectively, before finding himself off the grid. 

The German driver had been supported by Mercedes but was not chosen as Nico Rosberg's replacement after he shocked the world by retiring after claiming the 2016 drivers' title. 

Instead, the Silver Arrows opted for the experience of Valtteri Bottas, who had competed in four seasons compared to Wehrlein's one.

When Wehrlein was in F1, only the Red Bull family consistently took chances on young drivers, with a trend of signing experience over youth having been around. 

However, as pointed out by the Porsche works driver, that trend has changed completely, with young drivers now being preferred over veterans. 

"I think the thinking in the past was probably a bit different [to now], it was a lot more likely to put experienced guys in the cars," Wehrlein said in the latest episode of the RacingNews365 podcast. 

"And I really like the trend which we are seeing right now that the teams are giving the young drivers a chance. Even though they don't have a lot of experience, but they've shown that they are able to race quickly and that they are super fast.

"I think it sounds crazy, but 10 years ago when I was super young, I think that trend was a bit different. 

"Everyone wanted to kind of have the most experienced drivers who have already proven themselves across several years, that they are performing great in their car so that there is not a lot of risk [in signing them]. 

"And I think only Red Bull was a bit different in the past and they actually also gave super young drivers a chance to be in their A-team."

Wehrlein living with 'no regret'

When Rosberg announced his retirement, Wehrlein had not long turned 21 years old, an age which was deemed as very young in the pinnacle of motorsport at the time. 

Unfortunately, Wehrlein never had the opportunity to showcase his talent in a competitive package, with both Manor and Sauber having been towards the bottom of the midfield, if not at the bottom of the pecking order. 

Despite the disappointment of having never raced for Mercedes or in a strong F1 car, Wehrlein has no regrets over his career and is incredibly happy as a Porsche works driver.

"So yeah, obviously it's a shame [not to have raced for Mercedes]," added Wehrlein.

"It would have been great to have had a car where I could have shown my performance and shown my talent, but it didn't happen. Sometimes everything happens for a reason. 

"Like I said many times, I couldn't be happier in the situation I am in right now. Therefore, I don't regret anything about the past."

Watch and listen to the full episode with Pascal Wehrlein below!