F1 sprint weekend for rookies to be held in Abu Dhabi soon?

Imagine for a second a race of Formula 1, between young rookie drivers who have never competed in a single Grand Prix in the premier class, in the wake of the last round of the season in Abu Dhabi? This idea, which at first seems rather absurd, could nevertheless well see the light of day, at the end of the season or the next one. The subject has in fact been discussed in the F1 Commission in recent weeks between the different parties involved, and the teams seem to be generally in favour of the project.

While the idea is laudable, at a time when Jack Doohan, Oliver Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli (before others?) will discover F1 as regular drivers next year, the organisation requires additional thought in order to be implemented in the best possible conditions. "We want to give more opportunities to beginner pilots, assured Toto wolff. The problem is that if you give them that chance on a Grand Prix weekend, it will always have an impact on the performance of the main drivers, and could influence the outcome of the race, which could be very damaging if you are fighting for a championship."

A full racing weekend for the rookies

The Austrian continues: “So we couldn’t find any other way to allow them to go through the whole sequence of a race weekend, push the car and make comparisons. Because by having a race in Abu Dhabi, they would all be using the same fuel, the same tyres and it would be interesting to see how they compare in their respective cars. Plus the season would be over. The team would obviously be put under a lot of strain because there would still be a day to go, but we are in the entertainment industry and this is the best idea we have had so far to give them more driving time.”

Fred Vasseur and Toto Wolff. © Eric Alonso /DPPI

The introduction two years ago of two mandatory free practice sessions 1 for rookies was a first step in the right direction, even if the measure is far from perfect. The teams are indeed quite cautious overall, by not putting their drivers on the softest tires, or by making them do aero testing, light years away from the limits of the car. Conversely, in the event of a crash by a young driver, as was the case on Friday with Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes, the holder George Russell found himself handicapped with one and a half fewer sessions of driving compared to Lewis Hamilton.

An aspect raised by Frederic Vasseur, the team principal of Ferrari. "With the current regulations and the three days of testing you have during the winter, it is not easy to give them riding time., he concedes. Initially we thought we would give them the opportunity to do more FP1, but they already do 14 races in F2. On top of that, we have the Sprint races where you can't give away FP1. Also, on some circuits it's not easy to get them going."

Abu Dhabi, the scene of the event?

“We will never give up on FP1 in Singapore, Monaco or Baku for example. That means that in the end we don’t have many opportunities to give them the chance to test the car in real conditions and outside the TPC system (old car testing). And I think this opportunity could be a good chance to give them a full weekend with quality free practice and a start. For sure it’s not easy to organise, but I’m in favour of it.” 

Peter Bayer, also well placed to express himself since he is at the head of the junior team of Red Bull, also showed support. "If you see today how the pyramid of the car works well, since the karting up to Formula 4, 3, and 2, how many talents emerge… At the top, there are only 20 seats, so it’s quite complex for these guys to show their skills and at the same time, FP1… we had Kimi in his first FP1, there’s a huge expectation, everyone’s watching it. You don’t know what tire he’s going to go out on. Sometimes there’s an accident, like last week (in Zandvoort), and they only have five minutes to ride. So I think that would be a good thing, because we could reach the younger fans, which is what we want to do." Case to follow.

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