Horner confirms world champion racer as Red Bull gain another F1 driver option

29 October 2023 , 19:50

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Jake Dennis became Formula E champion this year (Image: PA)

Formula E world champion Jake Dennis will get behind the wheel of a Red Bull car at the end of this season.

Formula 1 rules force teams to give up an FP1 session for each driver every year to give racers classed as 'rookies' the chance to drive. Red Bull have not yet done so and will wait until the very final race of the season.

That means Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will both sit out the first practice session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. As the Sprint format will be used in Brazil next weekend and the Las Vegas track is a complete unknown for the regular drivers, the trip to the Yas Marina Circuit is the only viable option left.

Formula 2 racer Isack Hadjar will be in one of the Red Bulls in Abu Dhabi. The French-Algerian racer get his first taste of an F1 weekend in Mexico on Friday when he took part in FP1 for sister team AlphaTauri.

And the other man lined up is much more experienced. Dennis, 28, is an F1 rookie by definition but has raced for Andretti Global in Formula E for the last three seasons and won the title for the first time this year.

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Alongside his efforts in that championship, he has remained a simulator and development driver for Red Bull. And so Dennis will get the chance to impress behind the wheel of the title-winning RB19 which has blown away the competition this year.

Team principal Christian Horner confirmed the plan when asked by reporters of Red Bull's FP1 plans for the rest of this year. "We are planning to do it in Abu Dhabi in the last standard race of the year," he said.

"We've got quite a bit of data and in the heat of the day, that first session in Abu Dhabi tends to have no great deal in car set-up value, so that's when we're going to elect to put both rookie drivers in our cars. Jake Dennis is going to be driving one of the cars, and Isack will be in the other car – it was good to see him put in a strong performance for [AlphaTauri in Mexico]."

Hadjar was one of five rookies taking part in that practice session on Friday and was second quickest of them. Ollie Bearman was the quickest, 15th overall behind the wheel of the Haas as the Ferrari driver also had the distinction of being the only one to set a best time faster than that of a full-time F1 star, Fernando Alonso.

Jack Doohan drove for Alpine while Frederik Vesti filled in for George Russell at Mercedes. F1 standings leader Theo Pourchaire took to the track in an Alfa Romeo but his running was limited to just four laps due to a brakes issue which would not go away.

Daniel Moxon