Albers: F1 is not easy for new drivers like Ide.

Midland's Christijan Albers has revealed that he feels somewhat sorry for Yuji Ide, who has been axed by the Super Aguri F1 team following a recommendation from the FIA, the sports governing body, that he should get more mileage in testing.

Although Ide was responsible for putting Albers out on the opening lap at the last event at Imola, the Dutchman was keen to emphasise that it is tough for new drivers trying to break into F1, especially if they don't get sufficient time in the car, as was the case with the former Formula Nippon ace.

"I have to say it's quite difficult," said Albers in Thursday's FIA press conference. "One thing, for sure, is that's always easy to say that a new driver needs more mileage, but how does he get that mileage?

"That's also quite a big problem. We have quite a lot of top teams and it's quite difficult for young drivers to get to the top. Some of them stay quite long. I think everybody needs to have a chance. He needs to get some experience so he needs to go racing to get that experience and before that, you need to get some mileage. With all respect, last year I didn't do much mileage with Minardi. I did a lot of racing. It's up to the FIA to decide. I think sometimes we give it too much attention. All young drivers want to have a chance in a top team and it's not easy to get all the way up there."

Fellow drivers, Nick Heidfeld and Christian Klien though were somewhat less sympathetic and pointed out that he took some 'unusual' lines.

"Without judging Ide's driving, I don't think it will change a lot if does more testing," added Heidfeld.

"Yes, a couple of times I was behind him. I didn't judge it. But it's interesting sometimes to see his lines," continued Klien. "Sometimes he had really different lines to us. It's a problem if you're in a team with a lower budget. Obviously they don't do as much testing as the bigger teams and then you don't get the mileage in the car. That was difficult for him as well."

McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen meanwhile believes that it could be a blessing in disguise for the Japanese driver - and his fellow colleagues - especially with Monaco coming up at the end of this month.

"In Monaco it could have been a bit disastrous," the Finn told Reuters. "He's a nice guy but he was quite slow and then he was spinning quite often so you never knew if he was going to spin in front of you when you were close to him."