Formula One bosses have cancelled the ‘rookie race’ aimed at showcasing the best young drivers. The event was scheduled to take place at the end of the 2024 season but plans have been delayed until 2025.
Reports claimed that Abu Dhabi had been identified as a potential location to host a sprint-style race during the post-season test. It was hoped that the event would give young drivers a better chance to demonstrate that they are ready to race in F1.
However, the FIA has announced that while there was ‘widespread support’ for the plan, the race will not go ahead this year. Instead, talks will continue over it being added to the calendar for the 2025 season.
An FIA statement read: “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 would continue to formulate a potential concept and plan for 2025.”
The recent F1 Commission meeting decided that it would not be possible for the race to take place this season. According to the BBC, concerns were raised over the workload of team members who have already taken part in the longest F1 season in history.
Those individuals would be forced to remain in Abu Dhabi for even longer after the year’s final race to ensure the new event runs smoothly. There were also reportedly reservations about freight and other logistics, in addition to how it would be televised. It is unclear how popular the rookie race would be to a wider audience.
Ideas for how to best showcase the emerging talent in F1 were raised earlier this season. They came following concerns that young drivers were not being given the best possible opportunity to prove their worth in F1 machinery.
Some of the best up-and-coming drivers are able to take part in testing sessions ahead of Grands Prix. F1 rules dictate that teams must allow for two race weekends in which a rookie driver can take over from a senior racer. But there are few other chances because of the caps on testing that have been imposed in recent years.
Meanwhile, the F1 Commission also agreed to revise the regulations for the 2026 season, which are set to see sweeping changes made to both chassis and engines to increase cars’ aerodynamic performance. Some teams had raised concerns that the new rules would make vehicles significantly slower.
