As we approach the start of Formula 1’s launch season, plenty of new faces in new team colors are going to be on show.
Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari have enjoyed the majority of the headlines over the past month, but it was Mercedes’ turn to start making some noise last week when it launched its new Adidas range of team wear in Germany and all three drivers — George Russell, Kimi Antonelli and Valtteri Bottas — were on hand alongside team principal Toto Wolff.
And it is something Antonelli said that led me to do a bit of thinking (dangerous, I know). You might read about some of the new talent joining the F1 grid in an upcoming issue of RACER Magazine, but what exactly is fair to expect of them? It’s a complex question, because there are six different drivers embarking on their first full-time seasons in F1, but even so, these rookies have varying degrees of experience, pressure and machinery at their disposal.
Liam Lawson — Red Bull, 11 F1 starts
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The most experienced of the rookies arguably has the toughest task of all. Lawson has to perform alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull after just 11 race starts, and the front of the field looks like being as competitive as ever.
To understand the task, you only have to look at the experience that Sergio Perez had — both in F1 in general but also within the Red Bull setup — when he couldn’t turn around last year’s struggles, as well as the difficulties faced by both Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon as young teammates to Verstappen.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has suggested Lawson will be the number two driver and that there will be an acknowledged hierarchy that might just take the pressure off a little bit, but if he gets off to a slow start the New Zealander does not have a huge amount of credit in the bank from his two substitute spells at RB.
He is a driver with real potential, though, and his goal has to be getting enough time to deliver on it. Lawson has shown both tenacity and pace in those 11 starts, and if he can replicate that at Red Bull to pick up solid points with regularity then his first full season will be deemed a success.
Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes, 0 F1 starts
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Working our way through the rookies based on the constructors’ championship finishing positions for their respective teams last year, Antonelli is in a slightly strange situation.
As the young Italian said himself, it’s not fair to view him as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, given the experience and achievements of the seven-time world champion. Antonelli is at a totally different stage of his career, and his signing automatically shifted more responsibility onto George Russell at Mercedes.
But that’s not to say expectations aren’t high. Antonelli has shown Wolff that he is an exceptional talent and one that could be a future world champion, so he’s been entrusted with a race seat immediately. In contrast, Russell had to serve a three-year apprenticeship at Williams despite winning back-to-back Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles to showcase his ability.
Mercedes has yet to deliver a car capable of regularly fighting at the front in the ground effect era, however, so Antonelli might avoid the pressure of chasing wins from the start of his career. It will be a steep learning curve, so minimizing mistakes and beating Russell on occasion would represent a solid start.
Jack Doohan — Alpine, 1 F1 start
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After Lawson, his fellow antipodean and friend Doohan has the tallest order this season. In fact, he was facing it before he’d even started his first grand prix in Abu Dhabi last year.
The situation at Alpine has been a difficult one for drivers in recent years, but the team has certainly made impressive strides since the middle of 2024 and will expect to be fighting for points regularly this season. Gasly has proven his ability to deliver them, but Doohan may need time to hit his stride. And time is not likely to be on his side.
Franco Colapinto’s signing as a reserve driver came with a clear message from Williams team principal James Vowles that the impressive Argentine was released due to the opportunity to secure a race seat again as early as 2025. So even before pre-season testing has begun, Doohan is faced with an environment where an obvious replacement is waiting in the wings.
To deliver under that pressure will be extremely tough, but Doohan is a tough character, especially in race situations. Getting close to Gasly, being consistent, and scrapping hard on track are all going to be requirements from the word go. If he manages that, he at least gives himself the best chance of completing the season, which would be a notable achievement in the circumstances.
Oliver Bearman — Haas, 3 F1 starts
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Haas has a brand-new line-up and it is an exciting one, but it won’t necessarily be easy to manage. That’s not just based on Esteban Ocon’s history with teammates — something Ayao Komatsu is probably tired of addressing — but also the fact the Bearman has Ferrari backing and raised the excitement level around himself last year.
The performance in Jeddah was remarkable for such a young driver with little preparation, but he showed similar signs of his potential in both Baku and Interlagos, gaining valuable experience on different tracks and in the wet.
All of that stands Bearman in good stead for 2025, as he has those performances to point to if he doesn’t quite hit the same standards right away. He has somewhat lost the ability to exceed expectations, though, and will be tasked with delivering at least close to Ocon’s level.
If he does so, then working well in tandem with the Frenchman to create a strong team ethic at Haas — something it certainly enjoyed last year — will become another task. Bearman’s target will be to stack up well against Ocon and navigate the potential challenges of fighting with a highly rated teammate.
Isack Hadjar — RB, 0 F1 starts
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There will have been moments last year when Hadjar will have been feeling like the path to F1 was blocked for him, but after delivering a title challenge in F2 he also saw the doors open to a seat at RB.
Horner increased expectations a little when he said Hadjar had been quicker than Yuki Tsunoda in the Red Bull during the Abu Dhabi test, although given the fact Tsunoda had already been overlooked for Sergio Perez’s seat it would serve the team principal to suggest that. Either way, Hadjar is no slouch, and his four victories in F2 were the most of any driver last season.
Going up against such an experienced driver in Tsunoda is a good thing for Hadjar, because the Japanese driver has beaten all four of his past three teammates during their spells together. If that run continues, it might not be seen as a disaster, depending on how big the gap is. Beat Tsunoda, though, and Hadjar will do his reputation the world of good.
Red Bull does have Arvid Lindblad rising quickly, so Hadjar’s aim will be to establish himself as a driver who can deliver results at least on occasion, one who can reach similar highs to Tsunoda, and then earn the chance to develop his consistency.
Gabriel Bortoleto — Stake, 0 F1 starts
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Almost ironically, the further down this list I’ve gone, the more the pressure has dropped, and none more so than for the reigning F2 champion.
Bortoleto was extremely impressive last year, showing a real maturity to pick up consistently strong results and build a championship campaign even as a rookie. After a strong first weekend in the category, he failed to score in the next four races and retired from three of them. From there, he finished the remaining 22 races, with only two non-scores, and a hat trick of podiums saw him close out the title.
With such an improvement curve and an ability to deal with pressure, Bortoleto secured his seat with Stake Kick Sauber, and the focus is on the Audi future. An experienced and highly regarded teammate in Nico Hulkenberg will be an extremely good example to learn from, as both are already signed to remain with the team through 2026.
Last year’s car was so uncompetitive that anything better this year will be a bonus rather than add expectation, and Bortoleto is likely going to be able to learn in a low-pressure environment. Wherever he starts from, steadily getting closer to Hulkenberg as the year progresses is what the team will want to see from the 20-year-old.
