The fate of each rookie on the grid this season has been an entertaining sideshow to look at alongside the championship battle and the fates of the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
While Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris fight to win their first drivers’ championship this year, half a dozen youngsters are hoping to make an impact during their maiden seasons.
Jack Doohan has already lost his seat at Alpine, although his replacement, Franco Colapinto, hasn’t fared any better.
Position Drivers’ Championship PointsPts 1 284 2 275 3 187 4 172 5 151 6 109 7 64 8 54 9 37 10 27
Fernando Alonso thinks Gabriel Bortoleto is a generational talent after his recent upturn in form at Sauber, while Isack Hadjar could be racing for Red Bull next year after impressing alongside Liam Lawson.
Jolyon Palmer has been studying the impact of Andrea Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes this season.
He believes that Mercedes are in danger of becoming a ‘one-man team’ if his performances don’t improve soon, although he cautions his point by suggesting that distractions around his future haven’t helped his cause.
READ MORE: Know all about 2025 Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli including stats
Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesJolyon Palmer says Kimi Antonelli is ‘comparatively getting weaker’ at Mercedes with every race
Palmer was speaking on the F1 Nation Podcast in the build-up to the Dutch Grand Prix and explained: “They still are trying to understand what’s going on with the car. I think Russell’s driving at an incredibly high level at the moment.
“A little bit like Ferrari, they’re becoming a one-man team at the moment.
“With Hamilton struggling, you’ve got Antonelli struggling probably even more. So they need to try and get Antonelli firing again to try and overhaul Ferrari in the championship.”
Palmer was then asked about whether Verstappen’s commitment to Red Bull in 2026 will ease the pressure on Antonelli, and he continued: “I hope so.
“If it were me in the car, it would be a huge weight off my shoulders.
“All of the chatter in the paddock over the summer of Verstappen’s coming in, looks like Russell would be heading out, but then George started pointing the finger at Kimi and saying, well, hang on, I’m beating him.
TEAMDRIVER 1DRIVER 2AlpinePierre GaslyN/AAston MartinFernando AlonsoLance StrollAudiGabriel BortoletoNico HulkenbergCadillacValtteri BottasSergio PerezFerrariCharles LeclercLewis HamiltonHaasEsteban OconOliver BearmanMcLarenLando NorrisOscar PiastriMercedesN/AN/ARacing BullsN/AN/ARed Bull RacingMax VerstappenN/AWilliamsAlex AlbonCarlos Sainz2026 confirmed F1 drivers
“So, then you’re 18 and a rookie, and you’re thinking flipping heck, this is tough stuff in Formula 1.
“It still is. But at least he can have the confidence that he most likely will still be at Mercedes; they’ve given him time now.
“And the potential, I’m sure, is there. But he’s again in this spiral that we’ve seen with various drivers over recent years, where he’s now overthinking every time he gets in the car. He’s not driving on his natural instincts anymore.
“We do see flashes of performance through free practice and various points in the race where you think, ah, this is what we saw earlier in the season.
“But as the season’s going on, he’s actually comparatively getting weaker to his teammate, which is the entire reverse of what you’d expect from an 18-year-old rookie who should be learning, should be getting closer.”
READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 Team from team principal to lineage
Toto Wolff backs Andrea Kimi Antonelli to succeed at Mercedes as contract wait goes on
Antonelli’s Mercedes contract expires at the end of the season, but it’s expected that he will continue with the Silver Arrows into 2026 and beyond.
Team principal Toto Wolff has addressed Antonelli’s future, and while he didn’t give the most straightforward answer, he’s confident that he’ll succeed.
The trouble that Antonelli faces is the immense form of George Russell on the other side of the garage.
Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images
While most of the rookies on the grid are being compared to exceptional drivers, Antonelli is the only one fighting against someone who has won a race this season.
Antonelli will continue to improve, but he needs to find some confidence in the next few months.
The 2026 campaign is going to be challenging for every driver, with new cars built around an entirely new ruleset to get used to.
That could aid this year’s rookies, who have less experience in the ground-effect era, but Antonelli knows he needs to start next year on the front foot.