In 2022, Formula 1 teams will have to use a “rookie” for free practice. Formula 1 hasn’t fully set the rules yet, but we’re already taking a look at which drivers are on the list to make a Formula 1 debut.
Free practice with a rookie
Ross Brawn previously confirmed that F1 wants rookies to have the chance to test with Formula 1 teams by 2022. Now these drivers often have to make do with a seat in the starting class and the team’s simulator, but now more should be possible on the race weekends. The question is how this is to be achieved.
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At the Young Driver Test 2020, the teams tested the “rookie rules” of Formula 1. Robert Kubica and Fernando Alonso, for example, sat in the car as “rookies” because they had not contested a race for several years. Such tricks should be avoided in 2022.
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For some teams it will be very easy to find such a junior for their team. Ferrari, Alpine and Red Bull Racing have an extensive youth program that they can take advantage of. It’s going to be much more difficult for Aston Martin and McLaren.
Mercedes
With Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries, Mercedes has two reserve drivers on the bench this year. However, Vandoorne has already had seasons in Formula 1, so he shouldn’t really be considered a “rookie”. De Vries has not yet made his F1 debut and could therefore be fielded by Mercedes unless an age limit is set. At the start of the season, at the age of 27, Nyck is no longer the youngest. However, Mercedes no longer has a strong youth program. Frederik Vesti is the best-placed Mercedes junior. He is fourth in the Formula 3 championship.
Red Bull Racing & AlphaTauri
Red Bull has a luxury position with the number of talents to choose from for Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri. Dennis Hauger is the team’s newest Formula 3 champion and they also have access to Formula 2 drivers Juri Vips, Liam Lawson and Jehan Daruvala. Vips and Lawson in particular are in great shape at Red Bull.
McLaren
McLaren has no youth program (only 13-year-old American Ugo Ugochukwu) and uses Vandoorne and De Vries as reserve drivers. As De Vries may already be needed for Mercedes, McLaren will have to look for another talent. McLaren could pick an F2 or F3 driver with a good score, but in the past Sergio Sette Camara and Nobuharu Matsushita drove for the McLaren training program. They never made meters in F1 and could therefore still be considered rookies.
Aston Martin
Aston Martin has Nico Hulkenberg under contract as a substitute driver, but with his 180 races he will not qualify as a rookie. The UK team doesn’t have a junior program to support this either, so Aston Martin will have to look around in the entry-level classes.
alpine
Alpine is in a luxurious position for next year, with Guanyu Zhou and Oscar Piastri both still standing a chance at Alfa Romeo. Alpine itself no longer has a seat, but for the talent who missed the seat for 2022 there is a place as a driver during practice. In addition to this duo, Alpine also has Christian Lundgaard, Caio Collet and Victor Martins under contract.
Ferrari
Ferrari will also have no difficulty selecting juniors for these tests. Although less than in recent years, Marcus Armstrong, Callum Ilott (likely with his move to IndyCar), Robert Shartzman and Arthur Leclerc are all poised to take on that role. With the Haas customer team, there also seems to be an opportunity to consolidate a talent.
Haas
With the Ferrari tires, Haas could choose to give a Ferrari junior a chance in Formula 1, but there have been complaints about the lack of an American F1 driver for years. So if there is an opportunity to test American talent, this would be a unique opportunity for Haas to try.
Alfa Romeo
Although Alfa Romeo has a close partnership with Ferrari, they are unlikely to take any talent from Ferrari. With Theo Pourchaire, the Sauber team has a great talent. The Frenchman is already considered a bit too easy to drive in Formula 1 in 2022, but a second year in Formula 2 combined with some tests in Formula 1 would of course be perfect.
Williams currently has three substitute drivers under contract. Jack Aitken is the regular replacement driver and an experienced driver in the entry-level classes. Roy Nissany is also on the list, but that’s mainly due to his wallet. Williams could do a stunt, however, as they also have a woman on their program in Jamie Chadwick. Should the W-Series champion get a chance, it would be the first time in a long time that a woman has been in Formula One.
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The post These drivers have the chance to make their F1 debut under the new rule in 2022 first appeared on monter-une-startup.
