The Implications of a Rookie-Less Formula 1 Season
What a rookie-less season means for Formula 1?
Formula 1 is starting to tread a dangerous path in relation to its younger drivers. The 2024 season will be the first time the sport will host its F1 championship without a rookie on the grid. As a sport that can only accommodate 20 full-time drivers, there will always be a bit of uncertainty when securing a seat with one of the ten teams. However, recent years have been especially brutal for prospective rookies looking to secure a spot on the grid.
2023 Revealed Cracks in Formula 2
In the 2023 season, we ironically got to see three rookies join the grid, but their presence highlighted a problem that needs to be addressed immediately. The problem in question involves the clear learning curve and skill gap that exists between Formula 2 and Formula 1.
Normally, there’s a generous level of difference that drivers must expect to manage when making the jump. However, one thing that has been clear ever since the new regulations were implemented is that modern F1 cars are very different from modern F2 cars.
This is due to a lack of proactivity by the FIA in relation to keeping its junior series competitive as a stepping stone. Instead, these younger drivers are essentially swimming with sharks once they make the jump to F1.
Rookie seasons have gone from a chance to spot potential to a place where teams try to find young drivers that aren’t incurring the highest damage costs. This was seen recently with Mick Schumacher at Haas and Logan Sargeant at Williams, with the latter driver reserving his seat for 2024. After a season that failed to deliver any strong races from Sargeant, it’s clear that pure race pace and speed are not going to be enough for one to secure an F1 seat in the near future.
Meanwhile, a more experienced driver in his rookie season was Nyck De Vries. He was expected to lead the AlphaTauri team coming into 2023, but he was completely outclassed by teammate Yuki Tsunoda every weekend.
A Higher Grade of Talent
The only rookie that managed to show promise in 2023 was Oscar Piastri, a driver who won every Junior Formula series in each year he competed. He’s a unique talent who has shown amazing levels of adaptability, especially in a McLaren car that proved difficult for a seasoned driver like Daniel Ricciardo.
In 2024, Formula 2 is taking a step in the right direction with the introduction of a reworked chassis that features aerodynamic improvements for closer racing. This change is pretty similar to what we’ve seen in Formula 1 and Super Formula. This interesting change will generate some competitive racing, and depending on the performance of F2 drivers in the upcoming season, we might see the biggest shake-up of the F1 grid in a long time. After all, the 2024 F2 season is debuting some one-of-a-kind rookies.
While expectations of rookies can only be managed, there are still some young drivers that can exceed beyond anything we thought was possible. That’s why it’s important to keep the doors open for a new generation.