F1 proposes extended practice session for young drivers (Update)

UPDATE Formula 1 is set to give the green light to a young driver Friday test plan at grands prix next season as part of an effort to hand rookies extra track time.

AUTOSPORT reports that F1 teams have approved a change to the sport's regulations that will encourage outfits to run test drivers during an extended first free practice session.

The matter was discussed during a meeting of F1 think tank, the Sporting Working Committee, ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

Teams voted in favor of the idea, which will result in first practice being extended from 90 minutes to two hours.

To further encourage teams to run test drivers, the rules are also to be changed to allow teams to swap drivers during the session itself.

09/20/13 (GMM) Friday practice sessions could be extended from 90 to 120 minutes next year in a bid to help young drivers gain formula one mileage.

That is the claim of Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, revealing that the proposal authored by team bosses and F1 race director Charlie Whiting will be put to the forthcoming meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.

The extended session would be to give extra preparatory and running time for teams, with race drivers and test drivers eligible to drive the same car during a single session.

The 'test drivers' eligible to drive in the extended first practice session will have to have an international A license, and have contested no more than two grands prix recently.

So far, the proposed change has drawn a mixed response.

"For us, it would take an hour to convert the car from one driver to another," said Williams' team manager Dickie Stanford.

But Force India's Andy Stevenson insisted: "At Monza, it took us ten minutes to get the car ready for Paul di Resta after James Calado drove it."

Auto Motor und Sport said the top teams are unlikely to field young drivers, but for outfits like Caterham and Marussia it would be "a welcome source of income".