According to FIA, a driver must be 18 years old to acquire a super license and race in the championship. This rule was introduced subsequently after Max Verstappen debuted as a 17-year-old in 2015 for Scuderia Toro Rosso.
The rule has since been tweaked after FIA received a request last month to consider a change in the rule. FIA has updated the International Sporting Code to allow it to grant an exemption to the age limit.
the rule now states that;
“The driver must be at least 18 years old at the start of the event of his first F1 competition. At the sole discretion of the FIA, a driver judged to have recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition may be granted a super licence at the age of 17 years old.”
Kimi Antonelli – The Driving Force behind the change
This change will allow Kimi Antonelli, a Mercedes’ junior driver to race in F1 as early as this year. He has been rumoured to replace Logan Sergeant at Williams. The American is yet to score a point this year.
Antonelli is garnering similar hype to Verstappen in 2015, getting fast-tracked to F2 this year after he won FRECA last year and before that, winning the Italian F4 and ADAC F4. He’s also done two tests with Mercedes F1 in the W12 & 13 at Austria and Imola respectively, impressing the team thoroughly and invoking praises.
Having already secured the required 40 points for the Super License, Antonelli can be expected to make his official debut in an F1 session very soon.
Controversies
The change has been met with its fair share of critique, with many fans calling out FIA’s “hypocrisy and inconsistency” in their rule-making; Citing the cases of Indycar races Pato O’ Ward and Colton Herta. The latter has been denied the Super License despite being the youngest-ever Indycar Champion and having won multiple races. The governing body decided that both weren’t mature or experienced enough for a Super License.
FIA maintains that the decision for Antonelli was taken after careful and thorough consideration.
“We have received this request, and we are looking into it but there’s a process to be followed and multiple people/commissions required to vote and agree to it as it requires a rule change.“
An FIa spokesperson,
While this change will, in theory, help recruit new and deserving talent to grace F1 seats, it is yet to be seen if it will or will not fall victim to the sport’s Elitism.