F1 News: Teams appear open to 'rookie sprint race' proposal

(GMM) Formula 1 teams appear to be supportive of a radical plan for a rookie-only sprint race to be held in the week after the 2024 season finale.

The sport’s CEO Stefano Domenicali revealed this week that F1 is seeking to create more of a spectacle of the now-traditional post-finale test in Abu Dhabi.

“Perhaps we will do a sprint race for young people,” said the Italian.

Now that the Formula 1 world has congregated at Monza for the Italian GP, the details of the idea are now beginning to emerge.

It is believed the rookies would be given single practice and qualifying sessions, and then a mini-grand prix in the evening once the usual test day is complete.

Teams will have two cars each in Abu Dhabi, but the sprint race may be limited to just one driver per team – meaning just a 10-car grid. “20 cars would require extra planning,” Aston Martin team manager Andy Stevenson told Auto Motor und Sport.

“A race with 20 cars would not really be possible until 2025 at the earliest,” he added, highlighting that 20 young drivers all with super licenses is currently too ambitious.

It is believed teams are also asking the Domenicali-run Formula One Management for extra money for the rookie sprint – or a tweak to the budget cap.

Money may also need to be set aside for the TV broadcasters, because “without media interest, a race like this makes little sense,” said Sauber sporting director Beat Zehnder.

Haas boss Ayao Komatsu also commented: “We all have to stay in Abu Dhabi anyway because of the tire test.

“The winners would probably rather celebrate and the losers would rather go home as quickly as possible, but an additional race for the rookies would be a challenge for everyone that would make it worth staying behind for,” said the Japanese.

Team bosses will meet in Geneva next Wednesday to discuss the idea further, preceding a subsequent e-vote process.