Has the new Friday practice rookie driver rule been worthwhile? · RaceFans

Over the last two decades, Formula 1 has gradually decreased the level of testing that its teams are allowed to carry out over the course of a world championship season.

Twenty years ago, the 2002 season saw 71 individual testing events take place over the course of the calendar year – some one-day events for single teams at venues like Paul Ricard and Ferrari’s own test track at Fiorano, with others being multi-day tests with multiple teams. Now in 2022, just two three-day tests were scheduled – both taking place in the pre-season.

While teams are free to run so-called ‘previous cars’ under the regulations – meaning cars not entered in this year’s championship – the opportunity for teams to run their current cars is almost exclusively limited to the 22 grands prix weekends on the calendar.

However, this year’s F1 sporting regulations do feature a new addition. Article 32.4 c) compels teams to run “a driver who has not participated in more than two championship races in their career” at least twice during the season – one for each car in a team.

Already this year, the likes of Nyck de Vries, Liam Lawson and Juri Vips have already been given a run out in opening practice sessions. Next weekend, Alfa Romeo will run Formula 2 racer and Sauber junior driver Theo Pourchaire in the opening practice session of the US Grand Prix, while IndyCar drivers Alex Palou and Patricio O’Ward will fulfil McLaren’s two slots over the final races of the season. But is just a single one hour practice session during a grand prix weekend enough for inexperienced drivers coming through?

Earlier this week, retired former F1 driver Pedro de la Rosa joined the Aston Martin team as an ambassador. As well as 104 grand prix starts, De la Rosa is also one of the most prolific test and reserve drivers in the history of Formula 1, having covered over 100,000 kilometres as a test driver alone for the likes of Jordan, Jaguar, McLaren and Ferrari.

Asked by RaceFans about the new Friday practice rule for 2022, De la Rosa said it was “so difficult” for inexperienced drivers looking to get seat time in modern F1 cars.

“I think that we all have to agree that it is very difficult for the young generation, the young drivers, just stepping up into Formula 1,” said De la Rosa.

“The only way really is to be thrown into an FP1 session, just to build up the speed and make sure they, first, don’t crash and make…