2024 was the primary season in Method 1’s 75-year historical past that didn’t characteristic a single rookie. In what nearly seems to be like an try to make up for that absence, a brand new crop of gifted younger drivers are set to refresh the game and present the previous guard what they will do. Six rookies, aged 18 to 22, will line up on the grid in Melbourne come March, all with various levels of stress on their shoulders. Because the conveyer belt of motorsport expertise continues transferring, get to know the six younger drivers seeking to earn a seat past their rookie season.
Liam Lawson
Age: 22Team: Pink Bull
Liam Lawson
Picture by: Pink Bull Content material Pool
Barely a dozen races into his F1 profession, Liam Lawson snagged some of the coveted, but unenviable, seats on the grid. The Kiwi driver, who changed Daniel Ricciardo at RB beginning at COTA final yr, could have his work reduce out for him when he steps as much as Pink Bull alongside four-time defending world champion, Max Verstappen, in 2025. Lawson has been patiently ready within the wings for years with the Pink Bull household, and has confirmed himself a worthy candidate by way of a wide-ranging junior profession spanning DTM, Tremendous Method, and F2.
Nevertheless, he’s struggled to construct goodwill with followers since getting into the paddock (by way of no fault of his personal) after changing fan-favorite Ricciardo, then seemingly leapfrogging RB’s Yuki Tsunoda for that open seat at Pink Bull. It’s a disgrace, as a result of Lawson has not solely put within the work all through his time as a reserve driver, however is among the many nicest guys on the grid (we lately went on a highway journey with him — you’ll be able to the total video right here). His fast promotion is a sign not solely of his expertise, however how additionally he operates throughout the Pink Bull framework, which is without doubt one of the largest keys to success on the Milton Keynes-based outfit. Take it from Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly.
All this to say, Lawson has probably the most to lose of the 2025 rookies. He’s partnering Verstappen in one of many sport’s most notoriously powerful seats, because the group makes an attempt to claw its method again to the entrance of the grid. Pink Bull believes that Lawson might be their future in an impending post-Verstappen period, so it’s unlikely he’ll get the boot ought to he have just a few unhealthy races. However, the stress is definitely on.
Jack Doohan
Age: 21Team: Alpine
Jack Doohan
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Jack Doohan’s arrival in F1 feels considerably inevitable. In spite of everything, he was gifted his first go kart by seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher. However the son of MotoGP legend Mick Doohan is among the many least-known of the brand new rookie cohort, largely by advantage of the very fact he’s been ready within the wings at Alpine whereas his counterparts have been racking up monitor time.
He made an look on the grid on the eleventh hour through the closing race of the season, when he unexpectedly changed Esteban Ocon. The 21-year-old, who is about to associate Gasly on the French outfit, might have completed exterior the factors, however he now heads into 2025 with one ‘large league’ race below his belt. The weird choice to axe Haas-bound Ocon forward of Abu Dhabi means Doohan gained’t should make his debut within the Albert Park stress cooker when F1 arrives in Melbourne come March. Ricciardo typically lamented the extraordinary media scrutiny surrounding the Australian Grand Prix, so Alpine could also be hoping a few of that stress will likely be alleviated given Doohan’s already spent a full weekend within the automotive.
Doohan additionally has lots of of hours of simulator time below his belt — placing within the work on the manufacturing facility following his F2 campaigns in 2022 and 2023. Though he has all the appropriate individuals in his nook and several other wins in his junior profession, it stays to be seen simply how aggressive he’ll be, and whether or not the group will give him a automotive that enables him to indicate what he can do.
Talking of Alpine, 2024 was a yr of high-highs and low-lows for the Oliver Oakes-helmed operation. A lot of the group has been overhauled within the final 12 months following a rollercoaster few seasons, however the inside turmoil appears to have settled below Oakes’ management, not less than for now.
Oliver Bearman
Age: 19Team: Haas
Oliver Bearman
Picture by: Andreas Beil
Due to social media, drivers don’t have to attend till they’re successful world championships in F1 to develop a fan base. Such is the case for Oliver Bearman and his military of two.4 million Instagram followers. The British teenager is to F1 what somebody like Timothée Chalamet is to the movie business. That’s to say, he’s a charismatic up-and-comer who represents a brand new era of drivers, extremely conscious of their social presence and the viewers they’re connecting with. Like many elder Gen Z athletes and celebrities, Bearman doesn’t seem too involved with crafting a manicured persona, which has allowed him to resonate with swaths of followers earlier than even setting foot within the F1 paddock.
In fact, he additionally owes loads to Carlos Sainz’ burst appendix. When the Spaniard was struck down with appendicitis in Saudi Arabia, Bearman made his F1 debut with Ferrari, ending P7 on the notoriously tough Jeddah Corniche circuit. He made historical past later within the season when he scored factors throughout his second ever race — this time for Haas — after Kevin Magnussen was suspended in Azerbaijan.
Though he has gained a number of races all through his junior profession in F2 and F3, Bearman is not arriving in F1 with a resume stacked with sequence championships like a few of his counterparts. His stellar performances throughout his first few F1 outings, nevertheless, function a reminder that ends in junior classes are removed from the be-all and end-all when figuring out driver potential. The 19-year-old will definitely be one to look at when he companions Ocon in 2025 and works to push Haas additional up the mid-field.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Age: 18Team: Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Moving into the previous seat of a seven-time world champion isn’t any simple feat. However, if anybody can do it, it’s Andrea Kimi Antonelli — not less than, in response to Toto Wolff. The Mercedes group principal is satisfied the Italian teenager is the following (Max) Verstappen, and the group took a large leap of religion by signing him shortly after Lewis Hamilton confirmed his departure for Ferrari.
Antonelli’s story already has the makings of a fairytale: in 2018, the then 12-year-old was paired with Hamilton as a grid child on the Italian Grand Prix. “Bear in mind you’re the perfect, you’ll be able to win this,” the teen advised his hero, who went on to assert victory. Simply six years later, Antonelli is changing his idol at one of many winningest groups within the fashionable period.
Immediately, the 18-year-old, who introduced dwelling championships in F4 and FRECA earlier than ending sixth in back-to-back F2 campaigns, has been described as a generational expertise and touted to be the primary Italian to win an F1 race since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2006. There’s little doubt he has the hopes of an F1-obsessed nation on his shoulders, and a couple of million Instagram followers to show it. Although he’s but to make his debut, Antonelli’s FP1 outing in Monza was a reminder of his unbelievable uncooked tempo, and the rookie errors he’s prone to make after placing George Russell’s automotive within the wall. One factor’s for sure: Antonelli has large footwear to fill and the stress is on.
Gabriel Bortoleto
Age: 20Team: Sauber
Gabriel Bortoleto
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Gabriel Bortoleto is getting into F1 with an unblemished report and the hopes of a whole nation hanging over him. The Brazilian was comparatively unknown till he began successful F3 races, and ultimately the title, in 2023. The next yr, he joined an illustrious membership that includes Charles Leclerc, Russell and Oscar Piastri, all of whom achieved back-to-back F2 and F3 championships.
Bortoleto, who inked a take care of Sauber shortly earlier than being topped champion, impressed all through his total 2024 marketing campaign, together with his most notable efficiency at a characteristic race in Monza, the place he climbed from final to first. When he was approached by the Swiss outfit, he had no qualms signing for the group — set to turn out to be Audi in 2026 — regardless of his roots as a part of McLaren’s Driver Improvement program, given the papaya group’s long-term dedication to Piastri and Lando Norris.
Sauber will likely be an ideal low-pressure setting for the 20-year-old to be taught the ropes from a veteran of the game like his teammate, Nico Hulkenberg. The group is anticipated to stay in direction of the again of the grid in 2025 because it focuses its assets on 2026. Solely time will inform how properly Bortoleto adapts to F1 after a shocking junior profession.
Isack Hadjar
Age: 20 Crew: RB
Isack Hadjar
Picture by: Pink Bull Content material Pool
Isack Hadjar is the most recent rookie to hitch the F1 grid. The previous Pink Bull junior was promoted to RB in late December after Lawson vacated the seat to associate Verstappen on the A-team. The French-Algerian driver has confirmed himself all through the years, and his identify has lengthy been thrown round when discussing the group’s most promising up-and-comers. Nevertheless, he doesn’t have a world-beating report nor nice expectations on his shoulders, which makes RB place for him to land and be taught the ropes from an skilled hand like Tsunoda.
Hadjar doesn’t have any championship titles, although that stat does a disservice to his apparent expertise within the cockpit. In F2 he gained extra races than some other driver and his response time obtained widespread reward when he narrowly escaped a crash within the Monaco tunnel in 2024.
On this article
Emily Selleck
Method 1
Tradition
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Author : Motorsports
Publish date : 2025-01-02 20:36:08
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