Double F1 champion slams current treatment of upcoming young drivers in the sport

Two-time F1 champion Mika Hakkinen has raised concerns over the young drivers not getting enough time to prove their talents in the premier racing series.

Hakkinen made the comments in light of Mick Schumacher losing his Haas seat after two seasons and Nyck de Vries' recent sacking 10 races into the 2023 season.

The Flying Finn suggested that the lack of proper on-track testing made it difficult for the rookies to acclimatize to the F1 machinery. He recalled his early years in the sport in the early 90s when testing was not limited.

"It's generally very difficult for young drivers these days," he said to Sport1. "Before, in my time, there were a lot more tests, the drivers had time to develop, technically, in cooperation with the team."

Hakkinen emphasiszed that it was "very difficult" for rookies to prove their worth in the current F1 structure.

"Today there are practically no more tests, you just sit in the simulator and are judged on it. It's very difficult for the young drivers to show that they are developing, getting really good," he said.

Mika Hakkinen made his Formula 1 debut with Lotus in 1991 and made the most of the inferior machinery. McLaren picked him up two seasons later, putting him alongside legendary driver Ayrton Senna.

Hakkinen recalled that the Woking-based team led by Ron Dennis gave him plenty of opportunities to develop. He rewarded their trust by winning two championships later in the decade.

The Finn believes that it is very important for drivers to carefully chose the teams they work with.

"That's why I think it's so important for the future who you work with," he concluded.

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Fernando Alonso calls F1 selfish and glamorous as he compares it to other series

Fernando Alonso recently stated that he changed his perspective on the sport when he returned from his two-year hiatus in 2021. During his sabbatical, the two-time champion spent his time racing in Indycar, Dakar rally, and the WEC, formants that he felt were closer to "pure motorsport".

"I saw Formula 1, which is, in motorsport, very different than other categories," Alonso told the High-Performance Podcast."[It’s] much more selfish, much more glamorous in a way, but fake in another way. I think it was more pure motorsport [at] Le Mans, IndyCar or Dakar for sure."

Grand Prix of Belgium

Fernando Alonso added that during his time away from F1, he missed the non-racing aspects related to the sport which he once hated as a driver.

"Formula 1 had this appeal, the people wanted to attend the races, wanted to watch on TV. I was also watching the F1 races on TV, I appreciated a little bit more all of the stuff as a driver I didn’t like before," he added.

The Spaniard admitted that he now approaches the pre-race activities and media duties with a different perspective.

"So when I came back to the sport, I think I took a step more relaxed into those things," he added.

Fernando Alonso has found his mojo back with Aston Martin, consistently fighting for top spots on the grid. He has created a lot of buzz on and off the track this season, and fans will be eager to see the 42-year-old back in action when F1 resumes its season at the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend (August 25-27).