Formula 1 boss wants to reserve Friday practice for young drivers

At the start of 2022, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso or even Sebastian Vettel may well have to wait until Saturday to complete their first laps on the circuit before the Sunday Grand Prix. Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali said he was considering reserving free practice on Friday for “young drivers” and beginners.

 » This subject (young pilots) is very important and interests us, and while the testing sessions are so regulated, we have some ideas that we will discuss in the next meetings with the teams. In particular, we want to make the presence of young drivers compulsory during free practice Domenicali said Thursday, quoted by Reuters and Motorsport.

Make the races more « exciting »

The 10 teams on the grid can currently give young drivers the opportunity to race in a Formula 1 on Friday if they have the required number of points on their license. An opportunity that could therefore turn into an obligation from 2022.

But Stefano Domenicali also hopes the change will make races more unpredictable, reducing the time spent by more experienced drivers on the circuit before the start of the Grand Prix.  » It will give teams less time to try things before the race which will make it even more exciting. », Added the boss of Formula 1. But the former boss of Ferrari did not specify if this system could apply to weekends with a qualifying on Friday and a sprint race on Saturday, as for the Grand Prices from Italy this weekend.