Formula one will have a rookie harvest this season, with six of the 20 pilots in the network in Melbourne starting their first complete season, even if only three of them are debutants of the race.
The following analyzes your individual perspectives:
Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
The 18 -year -old is the first F1 pilot in Italy from Antonio Giovinazzi in 2021 and replaces the world champion of seven times Lewis Hamilton in the alignment of the team. Those are massive shoes to fill for someone who only spent their handling test in January, but Antonelli started well in the tests, it was faster in the first session in Bahrain and without errors. Mercedes is protector of him, but also trusts that he is the real business. “Kimi absolutely has the speed. He has shown that in all his categories,” says his teammate George Russell.
Oliver Bearman (Haas)
Ferrari Academy Bearman, 19, has already started three races, making an impressive debut with the seventh place for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia last year when Carlos Sainz had appendicitis. That made the British Alto, at 18, the youngest rookie in F1 to compete for Ferrari. Then he completed twice in Haas for Kevin Magnussen, scoring one more point in Azerbaijan. The team head, Ayao Komatsu, qualifies the British, but experienced teammate, the French Esteban Ocon, who has joined from Alpine, will be the measure of his speed.
Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
Bortoleto, 20, is the current F2 champion and will be the first Brazilian full -time F1 pilot since Felipe Massa retired in 2017. De Sao Paulo, is a protected from the double world champion of Spain, Fernando Alonso, and now he will be running to his manager. Bortoleto was previously an McLaren Young pilot and also won the title of F3 as a rookie in 2023. Last year he became the first pilot to win a race of F2 features since the last position. Sauber finished the last in general in 2024 and is likely to remain there before becoming the Audi Works team in 2026.
Jack Doohan (Alpine)
The 22 -year -old is the son of the world champion of motorcycles Five Times Mick and won national titles in Karting. He was runner -up in F3 in 2021 and third in F2 in 2023. He spent last year as Alpine Reserve, making a debut in the race in Abu Dhabi last December as a replacement for Esteban Ocon. It remains to be seen how much time is in the seat, with the Argentine Franco Colapinto waiting for his chance and a clear threat.
Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
Hadjar, 20, was runner -up of Bortoleto in F2 last season and has already been called ‘Le Petit Prost’ by Helmut Marko of Red Bull, after the world compatriot of four times, the compatriot Alain Prost. It replaces Liam Lawson, who moved to Red Bull, as a teammate of Yuki Tsunoda. Hadjar is of Algerian descent and has dual nationality. His father Yassine has a doctorate in quantum physics. Hadjar is fast and will impress if you can beat Tsunoda.
Liam Lawson (Red Bull)
Lawson, 23, is the oldest and most experienced of the rookies and has already started 11 races and scored six points. The New Zealander debuted at the Dutch Grand Prix 2023 when Daniel Ricciardo injured his hand, running five times that year. He replaced the Ricciardo released from Austin onwards last year and was promoted to Red Bull when Sergio Pérez lost his seat. See this year as a learning and his work is to help Max Verstappen to win a fifth title and the team recovers the crown of the builders by scoring regular points.
