Christian Horner, a prominent figure in the racing world, is a strong advocate for the idea of organizing a special rookie race at the end of the season. The FIA has been toying with the idea of hosting a short sprint race after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where young drivers would get the chance to drive Formula 1 cars. Horner believes it’s a ‘fantastic idea’ to give these young talents a taste of real racing conditions.
It’s been reported that the Red Bull team boss himself proposed this idea during a recent Formula 1 commission meeting. The proposal is to organize a sprint race instead of the regular ‘young driver test’. According to Horner, such a rookie race is more interesting than ‘just driving around and wasting fuel and tires’. “Only the teams would know if the young drivers are doing well,” he said during a press conference. One of the potential participants in such a race could be Oscar Piastri, a promising young talent in Formula 1.
Plans for a Qualification and Sprint Race in One Day
The plans are to organize both a qualification and a sprint race in one day. Ten promising drivers can then compete against each other, without the teams having to worry about damage to the cars. “I think it will be a very popular event,” says Horner. “It’s a great idea, it makes the day much more exciting.”
‘Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated’
Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu, who will put rookie Oliver Bearman in the car next year, is also enthusiastic about the plans. “Young drivers get so few chances to drive in a Formula 1 car,” he added. “So I think it’s really an interesting step. Of course, the team managers and the FIA will have to come up with some rules, but it should be possible to simply adopt the sprint regulations.”
“It doesn’t have to be complicated,” Horner added. “I think it should just be one car from each team instead of two. In fact, you’re just using the kilometers in a different way.”
