Formula One is filled with passion, thrill, and endless emotions. The sport has produced some of the finest motorsport athletes, such as Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna, etc. These names inspire young racers to chase their dream of an F1 debut. Over the years, several rookies have become racing sensations in a few seasons. Max Verstappen is a classic example, as his career graph grew exponentially.
The FIA has implemented a dedicated set of rules for newcomers to encourage them to take on the F1 challenge. Article 32.4 (c) of the sporting regulation states that every F1 team must give a rookie a chance twice during one of the Friday sessions. However, the teams usually seat a new face during the FP1 sessions when the teams can’t extract any valuable data or the main race. Moreover, starting in 2025, each team will be required to allow a rookie driver to take the wheel on four separate occasions. Regarding the current season, only two teams have used a fresh driver twice. Thus, here is an analysis of other teams and when they would seat a novice.
Newcomers To Watch: Fresh Faces Making Their Mark In 2024 F1 Season
Haas and Alpine remain the only teams that have completed the prescribed quota for allowing a new racer to steer the practice session. Haas seated a potential future superstar, Oliver Bearman, once at the Emilia Romagna GP and then at the Spanish GP. Meanwhile, Alpine used Jack Doohan in Canada and Silverstone.
The top four teams—Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari—have yet to field their second reserved driver. The Red Bull team is betting on Isack Hadjar as its future as he drover Sergio Perez’s RB20 in the British GP. Moreover, he might be seen again in either Mexico or Sao Paulo. McLaren will invite Patricio O’Ward during the Mexican GP to steer one of the MCL38s. Mercedes is in a comfortable position as Kimi Antonelli, their 2025 main driver, will drive at one of the tracks after a disappointing FP1 in Italy. On the other hand, Ferrari has used Oliver Bearman in Saudi Arabia, where he replaced Charles Leclerc. The name will soon be announced for Carlos Sainz’s replacement in the remaining FP sessions.
Sauber will complete its required quota in Mexico City, as Robert Shwartzman, after a decent run in Zandvoort, is all set to replace Zhou Guanyu. In Dutch GP, VCARB, also called Ayumu Iwasa, replaced Daniel Ricciardo. He might replace Yuki Tsunoda in the upcoming FP sessions. Further, Aston Martin is set to Fernando Alonso with Felipe Drugovich in this weekend’s Mexico FP1 sessions. Moreover, Williams has seated Franco Colapinto, who has been absolutely phenomenal in his short stint. However, he is no longer a rookie after steering in more than two races. Thus, Williams might have to look for a new name. Zak O’Sullivan and Luke Browning are the top contenders.
Rookies With A Potential To Be The Next F1 Superstar
Many rookies like Kimi Antonelli, Franco Colapinto, and Oliver Bearman will have permanent seats in the upcoming season. Antonelli is touted as the next big thing in F1. Despite a disappointing FP1 session in Monza, Mercedes is backing him. Meanwhile, his F2 rival and friend Oliver Bearman also have the skills to escalate to the top. The rookie has shown immense potential in his short runs for Ferrari and Williams.
However, Argentinian racer Franco Colapinto has emerged as the most-talked-about rookie of the current season. After replacing Logan Sargeant in Williams, the youngster has scored more points than him in just three races. He also got a ninth-place finish in the Azerbaijan GP.