No fewer than six newcomers

Never before in the history of Formula 1

Liam Lawson

(Bild: GIUSEPPE CACACE)

No fewer than six young men are starting their first season as regular drivers in Formula 1 this year - something that has never happened before in the history of motorsport's premier class. It is striking that two of the four top teams are also relying on newcomers: At Red Bull it is New Zealander Liam Lawson, at Mercedes it is the 18-year-old Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The others are Oliver Bearman (Haas), Jack Doohan (Alpine), Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber).

Antonelli, who skipped Formula 3 completely after great performances in various European junior series and was only active in Formula 2 for one year, is particularly in the spotlight. He scored two victories there in 2024 and also clocked up around 10,000 test kilometers in an old Mercedes F1 car. Last summer, team boss Toto Wolff had seen enough to give Antonelli the cockpit for 2025 and beyond that had been vacated by Lewis Hamilton's departure to Ferrari.

Kimi Antonelli

(Bild: FADEL SENNA)

"Kimi is ready," the Viennese said several times about the first Italian Formula 1 driver since Antonio Giovinazzi in 2021. Which is not to say that the youngster is expected to achieve top results straight away. The team wants to do everything it can to make the adjustment as easy as possible for him and reduce the pressure. "We tell him: nobody expects you to win at the start, to beat George Russell or to compete for a championship," explained Wolff.

Lawson takes on Verstappen at
Meanwhile, Lawson has the task of competing alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen. In an environment, mind you, that is more tailored to one driver than probably any other team. Verstappen has more or less "worn out" Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon and most recently Sergio Perez as team-mates, with Perez ending his Formula 1 career as a result. The 23-year-old Lawson has already completed eleven races for AlphaTauri and RB and scored six world championship points. He has proven his class in various series, including becoming DTM runner-up in 2021.

Liam Lawson

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Doohan is the son of motorcycle legend Mick Doohan and contested the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for Alpine last December. Like Lawson, the 22-year-old Australian is expected to perform right from the start, otherwise the pressure from his own stable will grow: Alpine's replacement driver Franco Colapinto from Argentina is pushing into Formula 1 himself and is gunning for his cockpit.

Jack Doohan

(Bild: AFP/GETTY IMAGES/CLIVE ROSE)

Bearman is said to have great potential
19-year-old Bearman drove a race for Ferrari as a substitute in 2024 and drove the Haas race car in two Grands Prix. The tall Briton is also a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and is regarded as a great talent, but there is currently no place for him at the Scuderia.

Oliver Bearman

(Bild: GEPA)

Isack Hadjar

(Bild: FADEL SENNA)

Gabriel Bortoleto

(Bild: GEPA)

The 20-year-old Frenchman Hadjar and the equally old Brazilian Bortoleto have both earned their chance with strong performances in Formula 2. Bortoleto, who is advised by Fernando Alonso, was champion in 2024. Runner-up Hadjar has already been ennobled as "the little (Alain; note) Prost" by Red Bull junior boss Helmut Marko.