These rookies arrived to fulfil their F1 duties temporarily. But they left a massive impact on the grid in such a short period of time.
2024 opened up with a similar set of protagonists from Abu Dhabi last year. No changes in the driver lineup had occurred for the first time in the history of Formula One.
The closing stages of this season may focus on the battle of the experienced, particularly between Verstappen and Norris. But there is a shortlist of junior drivers that have come to shake up the F1 field.
Oliver Bearman
Carlos Sainz’s withdrawal from the remainder of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was due to an appendicitis diagnosis. That left a vacant seat in the Ferrari, leading people to question who will take over the Spaniard’s role in the race weekend.
Enter Oliver Bearman, an F2 talent, who has strong ties with the Ferrari Driver Academy. Besides Haas, his role as a reserve in Ferrari made him the most suitable candidate for Sainz’s temporary replacement.
He qualified 11th in Jeddah. Although he missed out on an appearance in Q3, his first Formula One performance earned praise from drivers such as seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. He stunningly finished the race inside the top ten, collecting six points, a first for his Formula One career. The Brit also made a record for the youngest driver to score points on his debut.
The young Brit has proven to be impressive. Also a Haas reserve, his debut led to the American outfit announcing a full-time seat for Ollie Bearman with them from 2025 and beyond.
Bearman continued his stints in F1 as he replaced Kevin Magnussen at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Dane was required to serve a one-time race ban due to the accumulation of his penalty points, which forced him to miss Baku. The reserve contributed one point for Haas in Azerbaijan, another outstanding drive for a second race here.
Overall, Oliver Bearman’s quick adaptability in two different teams made his future in Formula One look much more optimistic.
Franco Colapinto
The announcement of the Argentine being selected as Logan Sargaent’s temporary replacement did spark mixed reactions. Some expected the takeover to be any of the more experienced drivers the likes of Liam Lawson and Mick Schumacher.
However, Franco Colapinto is no stranger to filling in other drivers’ seats on short notice. He replaced Jehan Deravula for the final round in Yas Marina in the previous F2 season. This was while the Argentinian was still in F3, a sign of his resilience.
Joining the Formula 2 grid this year as a rookie with MP Motorsport, he had delivered a decent amount of performances throughout his time there. A maiden win in Imola, three podiums and ten top-six finishes under his belt.
The Argentine had been making his Formula One preparations with the Williams Driver Academy since 2023. The consistent results shown in his junior career also convinced Williams’ team principal James Vowles to promote the driver to Formula One.
He went on to qualify 18th on his debut in Monza. He moved up six positions to 12th for the race, much to Vowles’ and fans’ delight. Although only an interim for Carlos Sainz as the Spaniard will be racing for the British team next season, the remaining races will be an opportunity for Colapinto to showcase his potential and further seal a promising future on the top step of the motorsport ladder.
His best finish thus far was P7 in Azerbaijan, where he took advantage of the collision between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez in the penultimate lap. He went on to secure another point in Austin.
He has previously admitted that he may not have a seat next season. But, in such a short term, his talent has undoubtably boost the faith of fans and team principals of his deserving place in F1.
Liam Lawson
Slightly more experienced than the previous two drivers, as Liam Lawson has tasted being a deputise for Daniel Ricciardo in the previous season. Ninth place was his best finish of his 2023 stint with RB in Singapore.
But with the Australian’s premature F1 departure, this year’s stint will be more carefully observed and evaluated by the paddock. Especially since a top team and RB sister team such as Red Bull has expressed interest in taking the Kiwi on to become Sergio Perez’s potential replacement.
This undeniably put pressure on Lawson to perform well in the final chapter of the season.
He began his 2024 campaign in Austin, and it was an encouraging start. He successfully took up two points and removed the doubts of naysayers.
However, in the following round in Mexico, he had to end his weekend there with no points. He qualified a hopeful 12th. However, his chances of entering the top ten were diminished due to an intense battle with his Red Bull colleague Sergio Perez. He had to settle for P16.
As he is serious about his candidacy in RB next season, his previous year’s experience will also be useful for him to shine through and resume his fight for more points.
Having not much time left in Formula One, these three young aces will continue to prove their worth. This will also increase their chances of a full-time role here in the future. Oliver Bearman has already secured his future in F1. Can Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto secure contracts soon enough?
