Glock: F1 isn’t a sport

An evidently-frustrated Timo Glock has described Formula 1 as being "nothing to do with sport" following his departure from Marussia.

The 30-year-old's exit from the team – and, in all likelihood, F1 – was confirmed early on Monday morning in a press release which made abundantly clear that Glock had lost his seat due to finances rather than form as Marussia sought to retain their place on the grid.

"The ongoing challenges facing the industry mean that we have had to take steps to secure our long-term future," confirmed team boss John Booth as he starkly attributed the divorce to "tough economic conditions".

"The commercial landscape is difficult for everyone, Formula 1 teams included," added Booth. "We would like to thank Timo for working with us to reach this decision, especially as he had a valid contract."

For his part, Glock, a 'paid driver' surely destined to be replaced by a 'pay driver', has made his frustration palpable in a Twitter exchange with Mark Webber after the Red Bull driver expressed his disappointment at the German's ousting. Hi mate, thanks a lot for that message, that means a lot to me!" replied Glock on his own Twitter page. "That's the way of F1 at the moment hope it will change again soon because like this it has nothing to do with sport!"

'Pay drivers' are hardly a new phenomenon in F1 – indeed, the practice of signing a driver on account of sponsorship rather than skill or speed is almost as old as the sport itself.

However, the issue has become particularly pressing in recent times, with the global economic slowdown seemingly resulting in the appointment of an unprecedented number of revenue-adding drivers while the likes of Glock and fellow 'paid drivers' worthies such as Heikki Kovalainen and Kamui Kobayashi are reduced to collateral damage as teams battle to stay afloat.

What Glock's fellow drivers have tweeted about his departure

"Mate big shame to hear the news!! We will miss you specially at the drivers dinner! I'm sure you will be back soon @realTimoGlock" – Sergio Perez.