Renowned former F1 team boss and owner, Eddie Jordan, expressed his fury over the absence of rookies on the F1 grid for the 2024 season.
This marks the first time in history that the driver lineup remains unchanged from the previous year, with no fresh talents joining the pinnacle of motorsport to showcase their skills.
Venting his frustration on the Formula For Success Podcast, the legendary F1 figure criticized the decisions made by the F1 teams.
“I can’t say how angry that makes me. This decision by those responsible is 'scandalous'.
“All large and small teams should be ashamed of themselves for not making it their job to give young drivers a chance.”
One young driver that was given a chance in 2023 was Liam Lawson, as the Red Bull prospect was thrusted into the AlphaTauri for five races after Daniel Ricciardo broke his wrist in Zandvoort.
But despite some impressive performances, including a points finish in Singapore, the Faenza team – now known as Visa Cash App RB – opted to retain Ricciardo, and Jordan explained how he would have had the New Zealand driver on the grid, as well as Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich, who dominated the F2 championship in 2022.
“One person I would really consider is Liam Lawson,” Jordan continued.
“And then there's a young Brazilian that a lot of people don't have on their radar yet, and that's Felipe Drugovich. He won the Formula 2 championship by a huge margin and would probably be my first choice.
“For me, Toro Rosso was the best kindergarten that gave young drivers the chance and just let them fly. I enjoyed that. And Franz Tost always enjoyed seeing the rise of these drivers.
"I think it's just disturbing that there are no rookies [this year].”