2023-08-21 12:17:01
With the summer break soon over, Formula 1 is about to enter its second half of the season. At this stage, many teams still have to do what is necessary to comply with the regulatory obligation to field drivers with no experience, i.e. with no more than two Grands Prix to their credit, twice in less during a free practice session on Friday.
The teams which established rookies this year have already fulfilled half of this obligation mechanically during the first Grand Prix: McLaren with Oscar PiastriWilliams with Logan Sargeant et AlphaTauri with Nyck de Vries. However, and this is unusual, no young driver has yet been fielded by the other teams at this stage of the season. Last year, from the Barcelona meeting, Williams had already rolled Nyck de Vries and Red Bull had invited Jüri Vips.
There are therefore, for the time being, 17 rookie commitments to be met during the next ten Grands Prix. Mercedes have already confirmed Frederik Vesti for EL1s in Mexico City, but no other plans are known.
Update on compliance with the regulations
We can easily reduce these ten opportunities to seven since the Grands Prix of Qatar (Losail), the United States (Austin) and São Paulo (Interlagos) will be contested in the sprint format.
If we look at the other seven weekends, some appear not very conducive to the sacrifice of an EL1 session. This is the case of the urban layouts of Singapore and Las Vegas, where everything will be discovered. As for Zandvoort, Monza and Abu Dhabi, the presence of F2 in parallel complicates the possibility of aligning young drivers who evolve in this championship, in particular if they are still in the fight for the title and/or for obtaining points for the Super License.
THE first seven in the F2 championship are affiliated with F1 teams and have the profile of natural candidates: Theo Pourchaire (Alfa Romeo), Frederik Vesti (Mercedes), Ayumu Iwasa (Red Bull), Jack Doohan (Alpine), Victor Martins (Alpine), Oliver Bearman (Ferrari) and Enzo Fittipaldi (Ferrari). When the situation will be further settled, at the end of the season in Abu Dhabi, it seems inevitable that some will be engaged on both counts. Especially since the Yas Marina route is where the usual end-of-season tests take place.
The young drivers should jostle on the track in Abu Dhabi.
For others, mainly reservists, the situation is a little less delicate. This will be the case if Aston Martin wants to call Felipe DrugovichHaas to Peter Fittipaldi and Red Bull/AlphaTauri at Liam Lawson. Concerning the latter, note all the same a conflict of date between the Grand Prix of Mexico and a round of Super Formula, discipline in which it evolves in Japan.
The last two tracks, Suzuka and Mexico, will be the scene of tire tests since Pirelli will provide prototype envelopes for testing with a view to 2024. The Japanese circuit is not the most suitable for a beginner either. , even if we remember that Red Bull started there Max Verstappen in EL1 at Toro Rosso in 2014. For once, Liam Lawson could put forward his experience acquired in Super Formula.
It will be understood, compromises will be almost imperative, but two weekends therefore stand out to see several young drivers on track in EL1: those of the Grand Prix of Mexico and the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi.
With Adam Cooper
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