Get to know all six of F1’s rookies for the 2025 season

2024 was the first season formula 1Not a single newbie has participated in the 75 year history. Almost like an attempt to fill that void, a new generation of talented young drivers are ready to refresh the sport and show the older drivers what they can do. Six rookies aged 18 to 22 will line up on the grid in Melbourne in March, all with varying degrees of pressure on their shoulders. As the pipeline of motorsport talent continues to grow, get to know six young drivers looking to earn a seat after their rookie seasons.

Liam Lawson

Age: 22
Team: Red Bull

His F1 career lasted barely a dozen races, Liam Lawson Snagged one of the most coveted, yet unreliable, seats on the grid. The Kiwi driver, who replaced Daniel Ricciardo at RB from COTA last year, will have his work cut out for him when he makes the move to Red Bull with the four-time defending world champions. max verstappenIn 2025. Lawson has been waiting patiently for years with the red bull familyAnd has proven himself a worthy candidate through an extensive junior career spanning DTM, Super Formula and F2.

However, he has struggled to build goodwill with fans since entering the paddock (through no fault of his own) after replacing fan-favourite Ricciardo and then pipping RB’s Yuki Tsunoda for that open seat at Red Bull. Is lying. It’s a shame, because Lawson has not only served his full-time job as a reserve driver, but he’s one of the nicest guys on the grid (we recently went on a road trip with him – You can watch the full video hereHis quick promotion is indicative of not only his talent, but how he works within the Red Bull structure, which is one of the biggest keys to success at the Milton Keynes-based organisation. take from Alex Albon And pierre gasly,

All this to say, Lawson has the most to lose among the 2025 newcomers. He is partnering Verstappen in one of the sport’s most notorious seats, as the team attempts to get back to the front of the grid. Red Bull believe Lawson could be their future in the post-Verstappen era, so it is unlikely he will get the boot if he has a bad few races. But, there is definitely pressure.

jack doohan

Age: 21
Team: Alpine

jack doohanThe arrival in F1 seems somewhat inevitable. After all, he was gifted his first go-kart by seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher. But the son of a MotoGP legend mick doohan One of the least known of the new rookie group, largely based on the fact that he’s waiting in the alpine while his counterparts are racking up track time.

He appeared on the grid at the eleventh hour during the final race of the season, when he was unexpectedly replaced. esteban oconThe 21-year-old, who is set to partner Gasly at the French outfit, may have finished out of the points but he now enters 2025 with one ‘big league’ race under his belt. The bizarre decision to drop Haas-bound Ocon ahead of Abu Dhabi means Doohan will not have to make his debut in the Albert Park pressure cooker when F1 reaches Melbourne in March. Ricciardo has often lamented the intense media scrutiny surrounding the Australian Grand Prix, so Alpine may be hoping that the pressure will be reduced given that Doohan has already spent the entire weekend in the car.

Doohan also has hundreds of hours of time in the simulator – working in the factory following his F2 campaigns in 2022 and 2023. Although he has all the right people and has taken many wins in his junior career, it still remains to be seen how competitive he will be, and whether the team will give him a car that will allow him to show that he can What can do?

Speaking of alpine, 2024 was a year of ups and downs for the Oliver Oakes-helmed operation. Much of the squad has been overhauled over the past 12 months after a tumultuous few seasons, but the internal turmoil seems to have been resolved under Oakes’ leadership, at least for now.

oliver bearman

Age: 19
Team: Haas

Thanks to social media, drivers don’t have to wait until they win a world championship in F1 to develop a fan base. Same is the case for oliver bearman And he has an army of 2.4 million Instagram followers. The British teenager is to F1 what Timothée Chalamet is to the film industry. That is to say, he is a charismatic up-and-comer who represents a new generation of drivers who are highly aware of their social presence and the audience they are connecting with. Like many big Gen Z athletes and celebrities, Bearman doesn’t seem too concerned about crafting a manicured persona, which has allowed him to connect with a legion of fans before he’s even set foot in the F1 paddock.

Of course, a lot is owed to him too carlos saenz‘ Burst appendix. When the Spaniard suffered appendicitis in Saudi Arabia, Bearman made his F1 debut with Ferrari and finished P7 at the extremely difficult Jeddah Corniche circuit. He made history later in the season when he scored points during his second race – this time for Haas kevin magnussen was suspended in Azerbaijan,

Although he has won several races during his junior career in F2 and F3, Bearman is not coming into F1 with a series championship like some of his counterparts. However, his stellar performances during his first few F1 outings serve as a reminder that results in junior categories are the be-all and end-all when determining driver potential. The 19-year-old will certainly be one to watch as he partners Ocon in 2025 and works to propel Haas forward in midfield.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Age: 18
Team: Mercedes

Stepping into the former seat of a seven-time world champion is no easy feat. But, if anyone can do it, it’s him Andrea Kimi Antonelli – at least, According to Toto WolffMercedes team principals are convinced the Italian teenager is the next (Max) Verstappen, and the team took a huge leap of faith by signing him shortly after Lewis Hamilton Confirmed his departure for Ferrari.

Antonelli’s story already sounds like a fairy tale: In 2018, the then-12-year-old was paired with Hamilton as the grid kid at the Italian Grand Prix. “Remember you are the best, you can win this,” the youngster told his hero, who claimed victory. Exactly six years later, Antonelli is taking his idol’s place on one of the winningest teams of the modern era.

Today, the 18-year-old, who brought home championships in F4 and FRECA before finishing sixth in back-to-back F2 campaigns, has been described as a generational talent and the first Italian to win an F1 race since Giancarlo It is believed. Fisichella in 2006. There’s no doubt that the expectations of an F1-obsessed nation rest on his shoulders, and he has over one million Instagram followers to prove it. Although he has not made his debut yet, Antonelli’s FP1 outing at Monza It is reminiscent of his incredibly fast speed and the rookie mistakes he made after George Russell put his car into the wall. One thing is for sure: Antonelli has big shoes to fill and the pressure is on.

gabriel bortoletto

Age: 20
Team: Sauber

gabriel bortoletto He is entering F1 with a spotless record and the entire nation’s hopes are pinned on him. The Brazilian was relatively unknown until he started winning F3 races and eventually titles in 2023. The following year, he joined a prestigious club Charles Leclerc, Russell And oscar piastriall of whom achieved back-to-back F2 and F3 championships.

Bortoletto, who signed a deal with Sauber shortly before becoming champion, impressed throughout his 2024 campaign, with his most notable performance in a feature race at Monza, where he climbed from last to first. When the Swiss outfit approached him, given the Papaya team’s long-term commitment to Piastri and Lando Norris, despite their roots as part of McLaren’s driver development programme, they were offered a chance to sign for the team that would become Audi in 2026. There was no hesitation in doing it.

Sauber would be an ideal low-pressure environment for the 20-year-old to learn from a veteran of the game such as his teammate. Nico HulkenbergThe team is expected to remain at the back of the grid in 2025 as it focuses its resources on 2026. Only time will tell how well suited Bortoletto is to F1 after an illustrious junior career.

isaac hadjar

Age: 20
Team: RB

isaac hadjar The latest rookie to join the F1 grid. The former Red Bull junior was promoted to RB at the end of December when Lawson vacated the seat in the A-team to partner Verstappen. The French-Algerian driver has proven himself over the years, and his name has long been thrown around when discussing the team’s most promising up-and-comers. However, he has no world-beating record nor huge expectations on his shoulders, which makes RB a good place for him to come in and learn the ropes from an experienced hand like Tsunoda.

Hadjar has no championship titles, although this statistic belies his obvious talent in the cockpit. In F2 he won more races than any other driver and his reaction times received widespread praise when he survived a crash in the Monaco tunnel in 2024.