With the 2025 F1 grid featuring six rookies, we would have to go back in time to 2010 to find a grid with as many drivers who are making their full-time debut in the category.<\/p>\n
A lot has changed in F1 since then<\/a>, including the introduction of a cost cap to the sport as well as a vast number of additions and removals to the calendar.<\/p>\n Andrea Kimi Antonelli<\/a> is currently the leading rookie in the drivers\u2019 championship this season, with a podium in Montreal helping him to seventh-place in the standings, despite struggling in recent rounds.<\/p>\n RankDriverTeamPoints7Andrea Kimi AntonelliMercedes6413Isack HadjarRacing Bulls2215Liam LawsonRacing Bulls2017Gabriel BortoletoSauber1419Oliver BearmanHaas820Franco ColapintoAlpine0<\/p>\n Much can be said about Franco Colapinto<\/a>\u2018s future at Alpine, considering his position at the bottom of the standings for current drivers on the grid. Colapinto crashed in a Pirelli tyre test<\/a> on Wednesday, with fans calling for Alpine to replace the stumbling Argentine.<\/p>\n Gabriel Bortoleto is \u2018very high up\u2019 in Guenther Steiner\u2019s estimations after his performance in Hungary<\/p>\n Speaking on an episode of The Red Flags Podcast, former F1 team principal Guenther Steiner<\/a> was asked for his opinion on whether or not Sauber<\/a>\u2018s Gabriel Bortoleto<\/a> is a candidate for being the best current rookie on the grid.<\/p>\n The Italian responded, \u201cI think we said it last time, that even if you\u2019re good and you\u2019ve got a s\u2014 car, you cannot show anything. Nobody can show anything. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd now that the car is a lot better than it was at the beginning of the year, he\u2019s shown what he can do. And by beating Nico Hulkenberg, I think I know what that means for a driver. I put him then very high up. So at the moment, he is, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n Steiner recently blasted Mercedes\u2019 decision to call up Antonelli<\/a>, stating that the 18-year-old simply wasn\u2019t ready for the pressure that comes along with a big leap into the world of F1 with such little experience. <\/p>\n Gabriel Bortoleto has earned himself a lot of plaudits with Sauber in F1 this season<\/p>\n Bortoleto is currently 17th in the drivers\u2019 standings, but that doesn\u2019t paint the full picture of how impressive the Brazilian driver has actually been this season. He has overachieved in qualifying, beating his highly experienced Sauber teammate eight times on a Saturday to Hulkenberg\u2019s six. <\/p>\n