Christian Horner and Max Verstappen at odds over revolutionary F1 idea
Christian Horner and Max Verstappen have differing views on one of the biggest debates at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Christian Horner heaped praise on the idea of a post-season sprint race for rookie drivers. The idea, which has split opinion in the paddock, was not as well received by Max Verstappen, who didn’t see the point in the concept.
Currently, the leap for rookies from Formula Two into F1 is a big one, and teams have been sceptical about bringing young drivers into their line-ups with experienced heads preferred in the driver market. As things stand, the only track time available for the stars of tomorrow comes in the form of FP1 sessions, private tests or the post-season tyre test.
However, this could soon change. At the F1 Commission meeting at the end of September, the teams will discuss the possibility of staging a televised sprint race after the tyre test in Abu Dhabi, open only to drivers with fewer than three race starts under their belts.
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If approved, it would give future stars Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman and Jack Doohan some much-needed track time ahead of their rookie campaigns, as well as allow teams to assess the performance of their brightest academy talents in an F1 race setting.
Discussing the idea in Baku, Horner said: “It’s something that I tabled at the last couple of F1 Commissions. I think it’s great for the young drivers. And I think that the problem with some of the rookie tests is they all get used for testing, you never know are they running on 50 kilos, 70 kilos, 30 kilos of fuel?
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“What engine mode are they going? You don’t really know. You don’t know how the opposition are doing. So I think this, as a non-championship race for the junior drivers, I think it’s a fantastic opportunity.
“It comes at the end of a busy season, but opposed to just running around burning fuel and tyres and only the teams that are running those drivers knowing whether they’re doing a good job or not, to give potentially 10 drivers or 10 rookies the opportunity of jumping in the current cars and having the equivalent of a sprint race, I think it’s fantastic, and I think it’ll be a really popular event.”
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While Horner is wholeheartedly behind the idea, the same could not be said for his star driver. When asked about the prospect last time out in Monza, Verstappen’s view of the rookie sprint race was unenthusiastic at best.
“I don't know,” he said. “I don't think everyone is excited after the final race. Then to do another race on Tuesday... I mean, if you want to give rookies a chance, just put them in the car.”
