Formula 1: How an unexpected change set off a big chain reaction

As a seasoned F1 enthusiast who has witnessed the highs and lows of the sport since its inception, I must say that the 2025 grid is shaping up to be one of the most promising yet. The influx of young talent, particularly sparked by Oliver Bearman’s remarkable debut at Ferrari, is truly refreshing.

2024 will see the exact same lineup on the Formula 1 grid as at the end of the 2023 season, marking an unprecedented situation in Formula 1’s 75-year history. This consistency arises from teams choosing not to make any changes or due to a lack of promising rookies emerging from Formula 2 who were deemed ready for promotion.

In the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last March, Carlos Sainz Jr. had to step out unexpectedly following only two training sessions. It wasn’t anticipated that newcomer Oliver Bearman would make any significant impact under such circumstances, especially considering his Formula 1 debut and even more so when it was with Ferrari due to the immense pressure.

Nevertheless, the young driver from Britain took everyone by surprise as he ended up in 7th place and earned six points, putting him ahead of both Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.

Bearman’s outstanding showcase captivated numerous racing teams, showcasing their newfound faith in the current Formula 2 drivers and their potential in Formula 1.

Bearman started the domino effect.

Initially, it was his impressive performance that sparked interest, and eventually, focus shifted towards Kimi Antonelli. Prema Racing’s two Formula 2 drivers garnered significant attention, demonstrating their skills. Bearman stood out in both Formula 2 and Formula 1, while Antonelli excelled in Formula 2 and Formula 1 closed-door testing.

Aside from Oscar Piastri in 2023, there had not been an impressive show of results from rookies since 2019, which is when Lando Norris, Alex Albon, and George Russell all entered Formula 1.

To put it in my own gaming terms, these drivers – Nicholas Latifi, Nyck de Vries, Nikita Mazepin, Mick Schumacher, Zhou Guanyu, and Logan Sargeant – had some pretty rough races in the high-stakes F1 tournament. They didn’t quite deliver the performance we expected from them based on their potential, leaving many of us spectators scratching our heads.

Due to teams becoming more cautious about promoting academy drivers to full-time positions, it’s plausible that Red Bull chose to reinstate Daniel Ricciardo following his tenure at McLaren for the 2024 season instead of Liam Lawson, despite Lawson’s strong performances toward the end of the 2023 season when Ricciardo was injured. This could be because teams have developed a hesitancy about such moves.

I can hardly contain my excitement as we edge closer to the 2025 racing season, which is now less than six months away! It looks like at least four fresh talents will be joining the grid, and if Sauber decides to bring in a rookie, we could even have five newcomers!

Bearman is set to join Haas, Antonelli is set to join Mercedes, Lawson is set to join RB after being announced as Ricciardo’s replacement for the remainder of the 2024 season, and Jack Doohan is set to join Alpine.

Bottas, Bortoleto, and Colapinto, with the latter two being strong contenders due to their recent performances.

Despite Bearman’s outstanding display at Jeddah earlier this year, it seems his performance might have contributed to the significant increase in rookie signings for the upcoming season. Moving from having no rookies on the grid in 2024 to potentially 20% or even 25% in 2025 is quite a shift.

2024-10-10 13:32

Hailey Bieber tries to keep a low profile as she grabs dinner in a hat and sunglasses while husband Justin grapples with ex mentor Diddy’s arrest