F1 considering a sprint race for rookies at the end of the year: here are the plans

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In recent years, Formula 1 has reduced the number of tests during the season, limiting opportunities for young drivers to grow and drive a top-tier car. However, since 2022, the FIA has approved a rule requiring each team to field a rookie in at least two free practice sessions each season, meaning a driver who has competed in no more than two Formula 1 Grands Prix.

Now the idea is to organize a post-season sprint race exclusively for rookies, as explained by Formula 1 chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali in an interview before the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. It's a plan being worked on behind the scenes with various teams and, according to the team principals, it could take shape as early as the end of this season.

Given the complexity of the proposal and the limited time to organize it, the initial expectation was that the plan would be approved for 2025. However, as Chris Horner mentioned during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix press conference, the possibility of holding this sprint race in Abu Dhabi after this year's post-season tests is gradually becoming a reality. Of course, to achieve final approval, it would require reaching an agreement not only with the FIA and Liberty Media but also with all ten teams. For now, however, the idea of putting a car on track for a sprint race, which wouldn't count toward the championship, seems to be gaining support.

"As with all things in life, if you want it to happen, you make it happen. I think there has been a clear directive to try and make it happen this year," Horner said about the possibility of holding the rookie sprint race at Yas Marina this year.

Other teams have also expressed their support for the idea, especially since it would give young drivers a chance to get some track time. Additionally, it might offer opportunities to attract specific sponsors for the event or create something different from a marketing perspective, although this is clearly a secondary concern. Undoubtedly, though, Formula 1 teams rarely move in a certain direction without some return.

"I think it's fantastic. If you don't do things like this, post-season tests are limited to tire testing. So, I think it adds value to the day, makes it more exciting, and gives young drivers another opportunity to get in the car. Nowadays, it's a very rare opportunity, I find it very interesting," said Ayao Komatsu, Haas Team Principal.

While more resourceful teams can afford to have reserve drivers and academy members participate in private test sessions with cars at least two years old, less well-funded teams can't provide rookies with consistent track time, limiting them to simulator work.

"It's important to give rookies more chances. We know how difficult it is to break into F1, so I think FP1 sessions are not enough to show what they can do. Also for us, not having a TPC [Testing of Previous Cars] program, it's another opportunity to gather more data and evaluate not only the performance itself but also the mindset and approach of the rookie driver," added Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Sauber's representative.

One car per team
The starting point for the regulations would be the current sprint format used during the season, but some adjustments would be needed to suit the specific needs of the event.

Given the limited time available to bring the project to fruition, behind the scenes, an agreement needs to be reached between all involved parties: "So, obviously, this puts pressure on the Sporting Working Group and various team managers to work with the FIA to come up with a set of regulations," added Red Bull Team Principal.

According to Christian Horner, the teams would field only one car instead of two, meaning the starting grid would have just 10 cars. As a result, the qualifying session would also need to be modified, as SQ1 and SQ2 would become irrelevant, given there would no longer be a need to reduce the number of cars on track and create excitement in each qualifying round: "There will be one car per team instead of two. In the end, the mileage would be used differently compared to just running during a test day," said the Red Bull team principal. This would also solve a secondary issue, which is that not all teams have two drivers ready to hit the track in a top-tier car.

Undoubtedly, every team has academy drivers suited for the experiment, but in reality, only a few teams can rely on a good number of drivers who already have experience in a car or simulator. Top-tier teams can count on drivers who have already driven an F1 car on several occasions, while other, less well-funded teams cannot afford consistent track time. For example, Oliver Bearman had already completed several kilometers in an F1 car thanks to various FP1 sessions, private Ferrari tests, post-season Haas tests, and Pirelli testing, while Colapinto had completed only one day of testing and a single FP1 session before his debut.

Qualifying and race in a single day
The sprint race would take place after the post-season tests in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for the days following the Grand Prix, where rookies are also expected to drive. However, to determine the starting order for this sprint race, a qualifying session would also be needed, with everything happening on the same day.

"I think the event will take place in a single day: qualifying and then a sprint race," Christian Horner said, essentially referring to the format Formula 1 used until last year, where Saturday morning featured a qualifying session to set the grid for the short race in the afternoon.

"It's an initiative I've presented at the last two Formula 1 Commissions because I think it's great for young drivers. The problem with some rookie tests is that they're all about testing. You never know if they're running with 50 kg, 70 kg, or 30 kg of fuel, what engine they're using. You never know how the competitor is doing," added the Red Bull Team Principal.

"So I think this race for junior drivers, which wouldn't count towards the championship, is a fantastic opportunity. It comes at the end of a busy season, but compared to just burning fuel and tires and with only the teams managing those drivers knowing if they're doing a good job or not, giving potentially 10 rookies the chance to jump into current cars and have a sprint race, I think is fantastic." – he concluded.

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