Formula 1 is considering an exciting new idea: a sprint race just for rookie drivers. This plan, which suggests holding the race after the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the post-season test, has caught the attention of some F1 drivers and team principals.

At this point, it is sure that we will see three new faces on the grid in 2025. This weekend young Italian talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli has signed with Mercedes, the weekend before it was Jack Doohan with Alpine, and already before the summer break Haas has confirmed Oliver Bearman as their driver for next season.

There are still two free seats left for the 2025 season, meaning that there might be up to 5 rookies on the grid as some other new names like Theo Pourchaire, Gabriel Bortoleto or Liam Lawson are being considered for a full time F1 seat. Because of that something like rookie-only sprint race sounds quite exciting to some key figures in F1.

“I actually quite like the idea, to be honest.

“I always have mixed feelings about the FP1 sessions for rookies [each team must set aside two such practice sessions each year for young drivers to attend in their car].

Because, unless you've had a lot of experience doing F1 tests, it’s very, very challenging. But an opportunity for rookie drivers to do a full day of testing, then straight into a sprint race weekend. I think it's a good idea,” said George Russell.

The team pricipal of Mercedes, Toto Wolff, showed his support to the idea.

“We discussed it in the F1 Commission and I think we're keen on giving rookie drivers more opportunity,” he told RacingNews365.

“The stretch is that if you give it to them on a Grand Prix race weekend, it's going to impact the main drivers, or it could impact the main drivers' performances.

“If you let them race on a main weekend, it could influence the race result, which could be pretty damaging if you're fighting for a championship.

“So we didn't find another way of letting them go through this whole sequence of a race weekend, pushing the car, being able to make comparisons.”

Ferrari’s team pricipal Frederic Vasseur backed the idea as well.

“With the current regulation and the three days of testing that you have during the winter, it's not easy to give them mileage,” he said.

“On top, we were thinking to give them the opportunity to do more FP1, but they are already doing 14 races in F2.

“On top of this, we have the Sprint races where you can't give the FP1. Plus some tracks, it's not easy.

“We will never give up the FP1 in Singapore, Monaco or Baku. It means that at the end of the day, we don't have so many opportunities to give them the opportunity to test the car in real conditions and outside of the TPC [Testing of Previous Cars] system.

“And I think this opportunity could be a good one to also give them the full weekend with a free practice, quali and start. It's not easy to organise, but I'm supportive," summarized his opinion Vasseur to RacingNews365.

Toto Wolff added at the end: “There was no one in the room that didn't support the idea because we have all the same objectives”