HUGE F1 race change is coming and will strengthen superpower
HUGE F1 race change is coming and will strengthen superpower
It has been 41 years since Formula 1 ran its most recent non-championship race.
On an April afternoon at Brands Hatch, Keke Rosberg beat rivals including fellow F1 world champion Alan Jones and future title winner Nigel Mansell to the chequered flag, taking victory in a grand prix named the Race of Champions.
F1 HEADLINES: Hamilton facing Ferrari SHOCK as MONSTROUS £84 million blow revealed
READ MORE: Ricciardo 'OFFERS' revealed as star tipped for astonishing F1 return
The event was a one-off, a non-canon race which had no bearing on the 1983 world championship and indeed included some racers who were not even competing in the top tier of motorsport that season.
Since then, every single race run involving F1 machinery has counted towards the championship, as for a variety of reasons non-championship races lost popularity.
The extra cost, additional workload for team personnel, greater wear on car parts and inherent danger of an extra running in a less safe era meant that the concept was left in the past, meaning the vast majority of contemporary F1 fans have never seen a non-championship race take place.
But, from 2025, that could all change.
READ MORE: Hamilton EXCITED to start a family as F1 star issues major update
What is the F1 rookie race?
Earlier this year, the idea was put forward to run a so-called ‘rookie race’ following the end of the 2024 season at the Yas Marina Circuit.
The event would follow the post-season test which comes after the campaign finale, and would be competed in by ten drivers – one racing each of the team’s 2024 cars – who have never held a full-time race seat in Formula 1.
The idea would be to allow young drivers who otherwise are only able to compete in the lower formulas the opportunity to demonstrate their talents in elite-level machinery, making a case to each of the teams that they should be given a seat in the future.
But for now, at least, the idea has been put on the backburner. A statement released by the FIA earlier this week following a meeting of the F1 Commission said: "While the concept [of a post-season rookie race] 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."
Issues including adding an additional race to the schedules of team staff, the risk of financial costs if a rookie were to crash a car, and the lack of set infrastructure for elements like broadcasting rights means that the race will not be run in 2024, but could be implemented at the end of next season or possibly later down the line.
The sporting logic for running a rookie race is clear - stand-in youngsters like Liam Lawson, Ollie Bearman and Franco Colapinto have all delivered immediately impressive performances after unexpectedly graduating to Formula 1 in the past year. And with only 20 seats available on the grid and so many far more experienced drivers already occupying them, allowing rookies a rare opportunity to make a proper case for themselves is fair.
READ MORE: Hamilton Ferrari debut CONFIRMED after huge FIA announcement
Would the F1 rookie race be a good idea?
The major reason that a rookie race could prove to be a huge boon to F1 goes beyond the sheer sport.
F1’s superpower since the 2017 takeover by Liberty Media has been personality marketing - giving fans greater insight into the minds, stories and emotions of the people beneath the racing helmets. Drive to Survive, greater social media access, and broadcast coverage around races are entirely underpinned by that concept.
Put simply, Liberty Media have rightly recognised that the highs and lows of these drivers’ lives are what makes more people care about motor racing. The more that fans feel they understand or relate to these drivers, the more engaged they are.
That is all well and good when an athlete has been around the top of their sport for years and their personality has already been understood by millions around the world. But it’s a tougher sell with somebody new.
Tennis has struggled with this issue in recent years as Roger Federer and Andy Murray have retired and Rafael Nadal has gradually faded away. The new crop of younger players - prior to the relatively new rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner - were both unable to match the performance level of their predecessors and in turn to captivate the attention of the audience to anything like the same degree.
A rookie race - if it does come off - will allow fans, teams, and the rights holder itself not just the opportunity to take a look at which youngsters seem quick, but to understand what role they may one day play in the F1 soap opera.
Not only could a rookie race bring back a fun quirk of F1’s distant past, it could also help bring forth the personalities and stories that will keep fans hooked for another generation.
READ MORE: Hamilton F1 commitment CANCELLED as Mercedes release statement
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Star SNUBBED for F1 love rival in social media drama
- 12 minutes ago
F1 News Today: Hamilton facing Ferrari SHOCK as MONSTROUS £84 million blow revealed
- 1 hour ago
Mercedes F1 team snub Hamilton in Ricciardo-Vettel admission
- 1 hour ago
HUGE F1 race change is coming and will strengthen superpower
- 2 hours ago
Official FIA statement announces GAME-CHANGING new union
- 3 hours ago
Ricciardo crash sees SHOCK driver lead F1 DNF table
- Today 12:58
F1 Race Calendar 2024
-
GP CHINA
19 - 21 Apr
Max Verstappen
-
GP USA
3 - 5 May
Lando Norris
-
GP ITALY
17 - 19 May
Max Verstappen
-
GP MONACO
24 - 26 May
Charles Leclerc
-
GP CANADA
7 - 9 Jun
Max Verstappen
-
GP SPAIN
21 - 23 Jun
Max Verstappen
-
GP AUSTRIA
28 - 30 Jun
George Russell
-
GP GREAT BRITAIN
5 - 7 Jul
Lewis Hamilton
-
GP HUNGARY
19 - 21 Jul
Oscar Piastri
-
GP BELGIUM
26 - 28 Jul
Lewis Hamilton
-
GP NETHERLANDS
23 - 25 Aug
Lando Norris
-
GP ITALY
30 Aug - 1 Sep
Charles Leclerc
-
GP AZERBAIJAN
13 - 15 Sep
Oscar Piastri
-
GP SINGAPORE
20 - 22 Sep
Lando Norris
- GP USA 18 - 20 Oct
- GP MEXICO 25 - 27 Oct
- GP BRAZIL 1 - 3 Nov
- GP USA 22 - 24 Nov
- GP QATAR 29 Nov - 1 Dec
Related news
Official FIA statement announces GAME-CHANGING new union
Verstappen HYPOCRISY slammed as FIA row escalates
FIA ROCKED by shock double resignation
FIA boss 'CONVICTED' after astonishing rant
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Franco Alejandro Colapinto
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Oliver Bearman
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- AWS Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860