F1 rookie race will NOT happen in 2024: FIA explains why. FIA announces F1 rookie race proposal postponed to 2025.

Postponed to 2025
Despite the fact that there had been extensive discussions about the possibility of organizing a sprint race at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season, coinciding with the usual young driver tests in Abu Dhabi, the rookie race will not happen, at least not in 2024.

This was the final decision made during the latest F1 Commission meeting, held today in Faenza at the VCARB headquarters.

The proposal, initially put forward by Christian Horner and supported by some other team principals, did not receive final approval and has been put on hold until at least 2025.

“The concept of a ‘rookie race,’ to be added to the 2024 post-season testing program in Abu Dhabi, was discussed,” the FIA revealed a few minutes ago, explaining the reasons for its rejection.

“Although the idea received broad support, it was determined that, due to time and organizational constraints, the event would not take place in 2024.” Discussions will continue to formulate a potential concept and plan for 2025.”

The originally proposed format included a free practice session, a qualifying session, and a race with a reduced distance. Additionally, each team would have been required to field one car with a single rookie.

The regulatory changes will now be subject to approval by the World Motor Sport Council.

Agreement reached on 2026 F1 regulations

Discussions around the upcoming 2026 regulation overhaul have centered on key changes across technical, sporting, and financial frameworks. Both teams and drivers raised concerns about the expected drop in lap times when the new regulations were first introduced during the Canadian Grand Prix in June. In response, the FIA has now confirmed that the next-generation 2026 cars will feature higher aerodynamic performance than originally planned, addressing these concerns and amending the initial proposals.

“Following discussions during recent Technical Advisory Committee meetings, and ongoing talks with Formula One teams, a number of amendments to the 2026 Technical Regulations in the areas of performance, aerodynamics and safety have been included in the latest iteration of these Regulations. These involve an increase of the expected aerodynamic performance of the cars following extensive collaboration between the teams and the FIA over the last few months.”