Eddie Jordan hits out at all 10 F1 teams for ‘scandalous’ and ‘upsetting’ 2024 decision

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Eddie Jordan has now hit out at all 10 of the Formula 1 teams over their ‘scandalous’ and ‘upsetting’ decision to not sign a single rookie driver to feature on the 2024 grid.

This year marks the first season in Formula 1’s history where the grid for the opening race is identical to the final round of the previous campaign. Never before since the series began in 1950 has there been a season without a single driver moving teams in the winter off-season.

Williams were the last team to confirm their driver line-up for the 2024 season by awarding Logan Sargeant his second contract. Team principal James Vowles waited until after the Abu Dhabi GP in November to inform the 23-year-old that he would stay on after his rookie year.

Formula 1 made history with no drivers moving over the winter

Only Alpine, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull were locked in for 2024, with their drivers already on multi-year contracts. But Aston Martin chose to let Lance Stroll’s rolling contract continue again. Haas, Mercedes, Stake F1 Team, Visa Cash App RB and Williams also gave new deals.

Haas moved early to lock Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg down for another year last August. Mercedes also gave Lewis Hamilton new terms for 2024 and 2025 in August. Yet the 39-year-old has now chosen to break out of those terms and he will move to Ferrari in 2025.

While China’s first full-time F1 driver, Zhou Guanyu, secured a contract for the 2024 season with Sauber – operating as Stake F1 Team – in September. AlphaTauri – now called Visa Cash App RB – also gave Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda deals for 2024 back in September.

Eddie Jordan slams the ‘scandalous’ lack of rookies in Formula 1

Sargeant was one of three rookies on the grid at the opening race of the 2023 F1 season last March. Oscar Piastri also made his Grand Prix debut with McLaren in Bahrain. While Nyck de Vries started the year at AlphaTauri but would lose the seat to Ricciardo after just 10 rounds.

Now, the 10 teams making F1 history by retaining the same grid as the Abu Dhabi GP leaves Jordan enraged. The former team owner is incensed at how each team opted against giving a young talent a chance. He claims it is ‘just wrong’ to not have a single rookie in Formula 1.

“I am so upset,” Jordan told the Formula for Success podcast. “Honestly, I can’t tell you how upsetting this is. And I really blame the 10 teams.

“It’s scandalous. The vision [and] the foresight is negative. I think all of the big teams [and] all of the smaller teams, shame on those teams for not making it their business to give young blood, young talent and us in the media something that we can grasp on and say who was the best rookie of the year. We can’t say that this year. It’s just wrong.”

Visa Cash App RB and Stake Sauber had rookie talents at their disposal

Ricciardo retained a full-time race seat with Visa Cash App RB at the expense of one of Red Bull’s young prospects. Liam Lawson stepped in for the 34-year-old for five Grand Prix after the Australian broke his hand. The 22-year-old also scored points at the 2023 Singapore GP.

While Sauber snubbed their young protégé, who would win the 2023 Formula 2 title, to keep Zhou beside Valtteri Bottas as they change name from Alfa Romeo to Stake F1 Team. Sauber have instead put 20-year-old sensation Theo Pourchaire in Japan’s Super Formula for 2024.