Meet the six rookies racing to the future on the F1 grid

Last year was all about the old guard. Now Kieran Jackson savours what’s in store from a young, quick new generation

-  Kieran Jackson

What a difference 12 months can make. Prior to the 2024 season, for the first time in Formula One history, not one team changed their driver lineup in the off-season. It gave the look of a sport in stagnation, particularly amid Max Verstappen’s dominance, with fresh blood and intrigue nowhere to be seen.

Where was the next generation? Well, they were actually just a year behind. This year sees six full-time rookies (classed as rookies because, despite three having race starts to their name, this is their first full-time seat in F1) enter the fray, with eight teams in total changing their driver lineup. So ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 16 March, who are the rookies who have been thrown into the limelight at the top tier of world motorsport?

Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

It was the big question last year – who would be capable of replacing seven-time world champion and Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes? Carlos Sainz? No. Fernando Alonso? No. Instead, Toto Wolff has turned to Mercedes’ hottest academy product, with a staggeringly impressive junior résumé.

Kimi Antonelli – who ironically hails from Bologna, close to Ferrari’s Maranello HQ – joined Mercedes’ junior programme at the age of 11 and quickly rose to prominence as he steamrolled to success in karting and junior single-seaters.

He won the European Karting Championship in 2020 and 2021, Italian F4 in 2022 and Formula Regional championships in Europe and the Middle East in 2023. As such, he skipped F3 to race in F2 last year for Prema, finishing an impressive sixth for a team whose car did not reach the heights expected.