Formula 1 has seen an influx of rookies join the grid and impress despite having relatively little experience at the highest level.
Jack Doohan made his debut in the championship with Alpine at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and kept the car on the track, but he lacked raw speed after getting the opportunity at short notice.
The Australian will begin his first full season next year with the French team as he replaces Esteban Ocon, who is moving to the Haas team.
Oliver Bearman will partner with the Frenchman, and he was very quick in the three events he was called upon to replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari and Kevin Magnussen at Haas.
The 19-year-old replaced Sainz after the Spaniard had his appendix removed in Saudi Arabia, the same event at which Bearman took pole position in Formula 2.
Bearman wasn’t the only rookie to impress, but Williams trusted Franco Colapinto to finish the final nine races with the team, as Logan Sargeant continued to make costly errors. The Argentine did show good speed, but Colapinto is unlikely to be on the grid next year.
Both Colapinto and Bearman were very confident behind the wheel, and former team principal Eddie Jordan explained which of the two was the most impressive.
Eddie Jordan feels Oliver Bearman was more impressive than Franco Colapinto
Bearman delivered three good weekends this season when he was asked to step in, including his debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
He finished in seventh place after a battling drive to pass Nico Hulkenberg as well as resisting pressure from Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages.
READ MORE: Oliver Bearman explains why he’s made more mistakes in F2 than Formula 1 this season
The 19-year-old has very little F1 experience and had to get inventive at times. Bearman admitted to only driving at Interlagos on a video game before he replaced Magnussen at Haas in the Grand Prix.
Jordan was impressed with Bearman in Saudi Arabia as he remained calm under the immense pressure of making his debut with Ferrari to score points.
He said on the Formula For Success podcast when asked who was the most impressive new driver to join the grid between Bearman and Colapinto: “To just step into a Ferrari with the amount of pressure, amount of pressure from the team, the press, everything. Carlos Sainz in the hospital having his appendix out.
“I have to go for Oliver Bearman. My God, what he did in his first race to score points was, for me, blew me away. Absolutely. Yes, it’d be difficult for him going forward. He probably hopes that he will get in a Ferrari at some stage.
“But Oliver, for me, you’ve made your mark up here in my mind. You’ll be one I’ll always be looking down the scoresheet to see where you are.”
As Bearman impressed, Colapinto made vital errors at Williams such as a crash under the Safety Car in Brazil as well as a 50G impact in Las Vegas.
Franco Colapinto is unlikely to be on the grid next season
Colapinto drove well at some races, such as in Azerbaijan, when he scored eighth place in Baku after recovering from a crash in practice.
The Williams driver was decisive in the midfield and competed against drivers who are much more experienced than himself.
He suffered heavy crashes, such as two incidents in one day in Brazil, which were very costly for the team, who were already low on spare parts.
The Argentine will likely stick with Williams as a third driver and continue looking for a spot on the grid in 2026 when F1’s new regulations are introduced.
Colapinto may have an opportunity at Alpine, but the French team are committed to Gasly and Doohan heading into next season for now.
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