From GMM
Jarno Trulli has defended F1's three new teams.
At Monaco, the less competitive pace of the new Lotus, Virgin and HRT teams has been the main topic of conversation, with frontrunners worried about being held up on the short and twisty layout.
F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that HRT is struggling for survival, while David Coulthard insists that the sport needs "quality, not quantity".
"If teams are not competitive they will not stay on the grid for long anyway as sponsorship is driven by results on track," the Scottish veteran wrote in his Telegraph column.
But fellow veteran Jarno Trulli, who now drives a Lotus despite previously working with big teams including Renault and Toyota, insists that the new teams have a place on the grid.
"Without us, it would have seemed that F1 had just a handful of teams. I would be more cautious in asserting that we are not worthy of our place in F1," he is quoted by Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper.
This weekend, Jarno Trulli is bidding to maintain a perfect qualifying record on the streets of Monaco.
Since his first visit to the Principality as a formula one driver in 1997, the winner of Monaco 2004 has never been outqualified by the occupant of the sister car. His conquests include Ukyo Katayama, Olivier Panis, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Ralf Schumacher and Timo Glock.
On two occasions this season, his Lotus teammate Heikki Kovalainen has outqualified Jarno Trulli. Finn Kovalainen told Turun Sanomat: "I will just concentrate on my own performance."
Jarno Trulli has defended F1's three new teams.
At Monaco, the less competitive pace of the new Lotus, Virgin and HRT teams has been the main topic of conversation, with frontrunners worried about being held up on the short and twisty layout.
F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that HRT is struggling for survival, while David Coulthard insists that the sport needs "quality, not quantity".
"If teams are not competitive they will not stay on the grid for long anyway as sponsorship is driven by results on track," the Scottish veteran wrote in his Telegraph column.
But fellow veteran Jarno Trulli, who now drives a Lotus despite previously working with big teams including Renault and Toyota, insists that the new teams have a place on the grid.
"Without us, it would have seemed that F1 had just a handful of teams. I would be more cautious in asserting that we are not worthy of our place in F1," he is quoted by Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper.
This weekend, Jarno Trulli is bidding to maintain a perfect qualifying record on the streets of Monaco.
Since his first visit to the Principality as a formula one driver in 1997, the winner of Monaco 2004 has never been outqualified by the occupant of the sister car. His conquests include Ukyo Katayama, Olivier Panis, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Ralf Schumacher and Timo Glock.
On two occasions this season, his Lotus teammate Heikki Kovalainen has outqualified Jarno Trulli. Finn Kovalainen told Turun Sanomat: "I will just concentrate on my own performance."