Ex-Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle has challenged Toto Wolff over his continued opposition to Andretti’s entry amid the Mercedes Team Principal’s complaint that there is a “blockage” for upcoming drivers.
The FIA sporting regulations stipulate that each team must give two free practice sessions per year to a driver who has not competed in more than two grands prix.
The opening practice hour at the season finale witnessed 10 rookies competing as sides scrambled to ensure they fulfilled the rule introduced at the start of last season.
However, none of those who featured will graduate to F1 in 2024 after Logan Sargeant’s extension at Williams confirmed next season’s grid will remain unchanged.
That includes the latest Formula 2 champion and Sauber prospect Theo Pourchaire, who pipped Mercedes junior Frederik Vesti to the second-tier title at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Speaking to Sky F1, Wolff admitted that he is concerned by the lack of opportunities available to rookie drivers in the sport.
“It’s unfortunate when you look at some of the guys that drove in FP1, there’s a few of them who would deserve to be in a Formula 1 car,” he said. “And at the moment there is a bit of a blockage.”
Therefore, Wolff’s perturbance could be solved by the incorporation of an 11th team, with Andretti’s proposal being accepted by the FIA at the beginning of last month.
“You must be keen then to have Andretti on the grid and two more seats for these young drivers?” Brundle remarked to Wolff.
“Yeah, that would be amazing,” Wolff immediately responded. “Then we could put the young drivers in there.”
Although Williams waited until the end of the season to confirm Sargeant’s place, Wolff has revealed that Mercedes didn’t push to place Vesti in the frame for the seat.
The German marque has supplied power units to Williams since 2014 and the Grove squad’s team boss is former long-serving Mercedes Strategy Director James Vowles.
However, Wolff, who was formerly involved with Williams in the early 2010s, highlights that he wanted to respect the side’s long-standing stance on being independent.
“When I was at Williams 12, 13 years ago, what I always wanted with [Sir] Frank [Williams] is to take our own decisions on drivers and have no interference from some kind of big brother,” he noted.
“And that’s why I’ve always respected that. We never had any engine contract that gave us or allowed us to put another driver in, so it’s in James’ authority to decide what is good for him.”
