F1 2025 rookies: Mid-season performance breakdown
- Umair Waseem
- Aug 5
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 6
Written by Umair Waseem, Edited by Charlotte Mui
Ahead of the 2025 Formula One season, one of the main talking points was the abundance of rookies joining the grid. With six rookies in total, this season marks the most in over a decade.
Now, with 14 out of 24 races completed, we have just breached the halfway mark of the season, giving us an opportune moment to evaluate how they’ve fared. While a few have made headlines, others have remained under the radar, quietly putting in solid results. This piece examines each rookie’s performance so far, breaking down their statistics and comparing them to one another.
Isack Hadjar
Isack Hadjar was the final rookie to be confirmed for 2025, following a narrow defeat in the previous F2 season. He joined the Racing Bulls team, originally partnering Yuki Tsunoda, before Liam Lawson joined the team following a Red Bull swap in Japan. His debut race in Australia, however, was a baptism of fire, as the 20-year-old crashed on the Formation Lap and was unable to start the race.
Following his chaotic debut, however, the Frenchman was able to redeem himself and has since proved himself worthy of his seat. In the 14 races so far, Hadjar is the only rookie who has never been eliminated in Q1, with an average qualifying time of 1:21.470. He has also appeared in eight Q3 sessions, often outqualifying his more experienced teammate, Lawson, demonstrating his solid one-lap speed.
With 22 points, he sits 13th in the standings after just over half of the season. Demonstrating a great deal of maturity and consistency, he has failed to finish just one race. Among the rookies, only Kimi Antonelli, benefitting from the superior pace of the Mercedes car, ranks higher in points. Hadjar is steadily making a strong case for the ‘Rookie of the Year’ title, and his future in F1 is looking increasingly promising.
Kimi Antonelli
Kimi Antonelli, the Mercedes prodigy, was chosen to fill the shoes of Lewis Hamilton after the Briton driver made his shock move to Ferrari. At just 18 years old, he was handed one of the most coveted seats in F1, drawing immediate comparisons to Max Verstappen even before officially making his debut.
He had a standout junior career, winning multiple karting titles, going on dominant runs in both the Italian and German Formula Four (F4) Championships, as well as winning the Formula Regional Championship. Due to his immense talent, he skipped Formula Three (F3) entirely and was directly promoted to Formula Two (F2) last year.
Antonelli's average qualifying position is 9.21 with an average qualifying time of 1:20.418. He has reached Q3 on nine occasions and has three Q1 exits. His most notable qualifying result was the Miami Grand Prix Sprint Pole, which made him the youngest polesitter in F1 history.
In terms of race results, Antonelli’s average finishing position is 8.6, putting the Italian in seventh place in the standings with 64 points. He is 42 points ahead of the next-best rookie, Hadjar. The highlight of his season so far was claiming his first-ever podium at the Canadian Grand Prix, where he held off both McLarens.
However, despite his strong start to the season, his recent performance has not been as convincing. He was visibly emotional after his poor outing at the qualifying session during the Belgian Grand Prix. As a result, his critics have begun to raise questions about whether his promotion to a top team at such a young age came too soon.
Ollie Bearman
Ollie Bearman, a Ferrari Academy graduate, got his first chance to prove his potential in Jeddah 2024, when Carlos Sainz was forced to pull out due to appendicitis. With only one practice session available to prepare, the Briton driver qualified P11 and finished seventh, scoring points for the Italian outfit on debut.
During the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he got another chance to compete in F1 machinery as he took the wheel for Haas, subbing in for Kevin Magnussen, who was handed a race ban. He finished P10 and scored a point, once again showing his adaptability and raw speed. His impressive performances in Jeddah and Baku earned him a permanent seat with Haas for the 2025 season.
At the start of the 2025 season, the 20-year-old made his official debut with the American outfit. However, Bearman had a disappointing start as he was unable to set a time during the Australian Grand Prix qualifying and had to start the race from the pit lane due to parc fermé changes.
His average qualifying position is 14.85 with a time of 1:21.347. He has made two impressive Q3 appearances but has also sustained five Q1 exits. He currently sits 19th in the standings with just eight points scored and an average finishing position of 12.08.
While still adjusting to the demands of the hectic racing calendar, Bearman’s results are more of a reflection of the Haas package than a limitation of his skills. His performances are respectable given the machinery at his disposal.
Gabriel Borteleto
Gabriel Borteleto inked a deal with the Sauber F1 team after winning the F2 championship in 2024. The Brazilian has had a decent season so far, but has been especially impressive in qualifying trim. Starting strong in Australia, he qualified ahead of his much more experienced teammate Nico Hulkenberg, making it into Q2 on debut. Overall, the 20-year-old has an average qualifying position of 14.43 at the average time of 1:22.430.
With fourteen points to his name, he is currently 17th in the standings. Although performing well in the season opener, the Brazilian struggled in subsequent races due to the uncompetitive Sauber C45, which has significantly struggled with aero grip in dirty air.
However, Borteleto has matched his teammate Hülkenberg in both qualifying and race pace, evidencing his high potential. In his fourteen races so far, he has demonstrated exceptional racecraft skills and proved to have a cool head when under pressure.
Liam Lawson
Whether Liam Lawson should be considered a rookie is debatable, as the New Zealander already has a significant number of races under his belt. He made his F1 debut back in 2023, subbing for an injured Daniel Ricciardo, and then permanently replaced him in 2024 after the Singapore Grand Prix.
However, with 2025 being Lawson’s first full season in F1, it is fitting for him to be discussed in this article. At the end of the 2024 season, Red Bull promoted him to the main team for 2025, replacing Sergio Pérez. However, after two disastrous races, he was demoted back to Racing Bulls.
After returning to RB, Lawson has struggled slightly to match Hadjar, with a qualifying position of 13.79 at an average time of 1:21.868. Although he has made four Q3 appearances, he has been knocked out in Q1 six times, a stark difference compared to Hadjar’s zero.
He has accumulated 20 points so far and is in 15th position in the standings, on average, finishing in 11.2. The tough, cutthroat Red Bull environment may have proved overwhelming for him, but in the RBs' more forgiving environment, he has the chance to rebuild and work on his weaknesses.
Jack Doohan
Jack Doohan made his debut in the last race of the 2024 season, replacing Esteban Ocon in Alpine. He finished P15, gaining valuable experience just ahead of his first full season.
Unfortunately, his seat was already hanging by a thread before the 2025 season even began. Franco Colapinto was brought over on loan to Alpine and signed as a reserve driver, signaling uncertainty around Doohan’s seat.
Across six races, he failed to score any points and sat at the bottom of the points table. His two DNFs further exacerbated the case, and after six races, Alpine decided to bench Doohan and officially bring in Franco Colapinto as his replacement.
Franco Colapinto
Similarly to Lawson, Franco Colapinto made his F1 debut in 2024 when he replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams. His impressive performances caught the eye of Flavio Briatore, who negotiated a deal to have him loaned to Alpine ahead of the 2025 season. He was subsequently announced as the official reserve driver for the French team.
Alpine promoted him to the full-time seat at Imola, replacing the underperforming Doohan. However, Colapinto did not fare much better. He crashed in qualifying at Imola and received a 3-place grid penalty, eventually finishing the race in P15. He bounced back somewhat in Canada, qualifying in P12 ahead of teammate Pierre Gasly.
In his limited stint so far, Colapinto’s average qualifying time is 1:18.103 and has an average qualifying position of 16.38. He is yet to score points this season, with an average race finish of 15.57.
Despite showing potential, consistency remains an issue for the Argentine. Although there’s enough promise to show that he may materialize into a more complete driver, Briatore’s patience already appears to be wearing thin.
How do rookies compare
According to the stats discussed above, Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar have a considerable margin over the other rookies. Below is the table comparing the key stats of the 2025 F1 rookies.
Credit: Umair Waseem
