The New Generation of F1 Drivers have impressed Team Officials all over the Grid

Their performances inspired teams to take more chances on these younger drivers, who can be quick right away.

More News: Ferrari Team Principal Defends Lewis Hamilton in Explosive Response

As of 2025, these gambles have paid off for teams, and F1 is currently witnessing a new generation of rookies entering the sport and competing at various levels against established names.

“I think it’s quite a great generation of rookie drivers that we've got this year coming into Formula 1, and I think they are all proving that they have the level to be here,” Laurent Mekies, Team Principal at Racing Bulls, said.

“They have all been through various levels of pressure."

“I think it’s quite early to give a judgment on who’s fastest. We've seen a rollercoaster that most of them have been going through, so I think it’s early days."

Hadjar has been one of the most impressive rookies this season, showing competitive pace and the ability to bounce back from setbacks, all while having an early pace advantage on the more experienced Liam Lawson.

More News: Lando Norris says McLaren Are the Only Team with "Two Good Drivers"

Ollie Bearman, now given a full time seat at Haas, has flourished against his teammate Esteban Ocon, matching the level of his much more experienced teammate.

“I think it's very good for the feeder series [to have rookies coming through], and it’s impressive that they come into Formula 1 – nothing prepares them for this pressure and intensity – and they’re able to perform at the level they do,” Haas F1 team boss Ayao Komatsu said.

No rookie has more hype and anticipation entering the season than Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who has been regarded as arguably the best up-and-coming driver to emerge from the feeder series in recent years.

He was immediately placed into the pressure cooker, straight into a top team's seat, replacing the legendary Lewis Hamilton, and being paired with an established driver in George Russell.

Despite all the pressure, Antonelli has delivered for Mercedes as best as the team could have hoped, leaving a strong impression on Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin of Mercedes.

“It's quite impressive the way that a lot of them can go from F2 or other feeder series straight into F1 and perform at a good level,” Shovlin said.

“To be honest, we’ve had so much focus on Kimi, we haven’t really been looking at everyone else.

“With Kimi, we’re measuring him by where he is compared to George [Russell], where he is compared to the other drivers in the top teams. But yeah, there’s obviously a lot of talent there."

For more F1 news, head over to F1 on SI.