Formula 1 will not go ahead with plans to hold a one-off, non-championship race for rookies at the end of this year.
However the concept remains under discussion and could be introduced at the end of the 2025 F1 season.Several F1 team bosses indicated support for the idea last month. The tentative plan involved each team entering a single car for one rookie driver in a post-season sprint race following the end-of-year test at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.
The race could have seen the likes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Jack Doohan, both of whom will make their F1 debuts next year, participate. Ferrari’s Oliver Bearman could have been ruled eligible to appear, as he has only made two F1 starts as a substitute.
However the F1 Commission agreed today to postpone the plan, citing a shortage of time between now and the end of the season in little more than two months.
“The concept of a “rookie race” to be added to the 2024 post-season test schedule at Abu Dhabi was discussed,” said the FIA in a statement. “While the concept received widespread support, it was determined that due to timing and organisational constraints, the event would not take place in 2024, and discussions will continue to formulate a potential concept and plan for 2025.”
The commission also agreed changes to F1’s new regulations for 2026, which the World Motor Sport Council will discuss in two weeks’ time.
The technical rules have been revised and now envisage “an increase of the expected aerodynamic performance of the cars.” Some teams had expressed concerns the revised rules planned for 2026 would make the cars too slow in corners.
“Significant” changes have also been made to the 2026 sporting regulations. An allowance has been made for nine days of pre-season testing, compared to just three this year.
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Formula 1
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Tristan
2nd October 2024, 21:40
Good, I think it’s a good idea, but not to be rushed, given the safety implications of having a grid full of rookies.
Asd
3rd October 2024, 14:02
What safety implications?
Joe Pineapples
3rd October 2024, 16:12
You’ll always get the odd one or two…….driving the wrong way round the track, waiting on a corner in ambush mode, rage quitting (abandoning the car in the middle of the track).
AlanD
3rd October 2024, 18:10
Having all those rookies on the grid could be incredibly dangerous. There is a huge danger that people might find it more interesting than the actual F1 race and then what will we do?
Tristan
3rd October 2024, 23:03
… What possible safety implications could there be with a grid full of F2 drivers all in F1 cars for the first time, driving in ultimate anger to prove they deserve an F1 seat, in a race no less. With cars that are totally able to be wrecked and crashed because there’s no cost to the championship for the teams? Can you really not see it?
Not dense
10th October 2024, 7:37
None. They are professional racing drivers who already race in F2. No we cannot see what problem you make up.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
4th October 2024, 5:49
The same implications why they spaced out the next race till the end of October. In all honesty, if there is a season next year, they should let the rookies run the sprint races. Just add two power units to the allocation and run an additional session every weekend for proper testing/rookie practice. Run the race on Friday, after the rookies run a 90 minute FP1. Best time in practice is qualifying. FP2 (120 min) + Qualifying on Saturdays and a 30 min warmup + race on Sundays.
Jere (@jerejj)
3rd October 2024, 6:50
Unsurprising as the lead time was already limited when this proposal first arose, so they shouldn’t have even attempted for this year in the first place.
Proper lead time to plan everything carefully is in order instead of rushing things & thus, risking unintended consequences.
I hope the increase in aerodynamic performance won’t impact minimum car+driver weight limit.
Stoo
3rd October 2024, 16:51
It’s a great idea, but to blazes with the “only one car per team” rule, let em race as full teams, as it’s at the end of the season, and it really matters little if a few cars get a tad bent.
Some cars get bent rather a lot when such drivers replace regular owners when the permanent guys have injuries etc..
And costs could be easily waved from the team’s budgets so it’s unlikely to harm the teams in any way. The only fear as far as safety is concerned is if some bozo ploughs into a concrete bridge pillar at 250 mph and hurts or kills them, which shouldn’t be the case as they’d likely be taken from F2 or F3 and should know what thy’re doing in a faster car.
….. and it would show up some unlikely talent at the same time – what’s not to like ?
AlanD
3rd October 2024, 18:12
I agree. What’s not to like? It is a sad reflection on modern bureaucracies that we are incapable of organising an event in just three months.