Junior F1 ladder in Europe not ’reasonable’ - Alesi

F1 legend Jean Alesi says his son Giuliano abandoned his European racing career because the environment in Japan is more "reasonable".

23-year-old Giuliano Alesi was a Formula 2 driver until he was dropped by Ferrari’s development academy.

Now, he races for the top TOM’s team in Japanese open-wheeler ’Super Formula’ and Super GT.

"In Europe, F1 teams have their programs to develop young talent, but in the end the problem is still money," Jean Alesi, who is most famous for his Ferrari career in Formula 1 in the 90s, told as-web.jp.

"Four drivers in Formula 1 today are the sons of millionaires - that’s the reality. But Japan’s training programs don’t mean that only millionaires can enter. Compared to Europe, it’s more reasonable.

"That’s the big problem in Europe and it became the biggest problem I had with Giuliano. There was always Mazepin, Norris, Latifi, Stroll, who all went to F1, and there are many such drivers in Europe.

"Money is more important than your performance as a driver," Alesi insists.

For instance, he explains that irrespective of his son’s good performances in Formula 2, he still had to get "2 million euros" together to step up to Formula 2.

"In any category, even if you do well, you will need a lot of money to step up. It’s an unacceptable and strange system for us," 58-year-old Alesi, whose wife is Japanese, said at the Super GT round at Autopolis.