The 2025 Formula 1 championship saw a surprisingly large influx of new drivers join the starting lineup, making them a central topic of discussion across the entire season.
Although several newcomers excelled, others struggled, and a few didn’t complete the full season. Below are our contributors’ selections for the top rookie performer of the year.
In defense of the 2025 F1 rookie cohort, their performances were largely commendable. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, for instance, secured multiple podium finishes and a sprint pole position in Miami, exhibiting immense potential at merely 18 years old upon his inaugural appearance. Similarly, Isack Hadjar also achieved a podium and subsequently earned a promotion to Red Bull for the 2026 season.
However, a less conventional pick for the top newcomer might be Gabriel Bortoleto, and he is my chosen candidate. While he frequently found himself at the rear of the grid for much of the season, considering he drove for Sauber, his remarkable qualifying statistics are particularly noteworthy.
The 21-year-old concluded the racing year with an equal standing against Nico Hulkenberg in their intra-team qualifying contest (12-12, or 15-15 when including sprint sessions), a feat whose significance is immense given the German’s caliber and extensive background. Therefore, I’d contend that Bortoleto matching Hulkenberg’s performance is more remarkable than Hadjar outperforming Liam Lawson.
Jake Boxall-Legge’s pick: Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Many will likely favor Isack Hadjar, and I don’t dispute that viewpoint, but to offer a different perspective, I’m choosing Antonelli. This highly-regarded Italian talent demonstrated remarkable proximity to Russell, who was among the year’s top drivers, in both qualifying speed and race results during the concluding races of the championship.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
First-year campaigns are not required to be perfect, nor should they be; though racers are anticipated to ascend to the premier tier and execute, missteps and blunders are an essential component of their development. Antonelli endured this challenging phase during the European portion of the season, negatively impacted by Mercedes’ rear-suspension modifications that disrupted his comfort with the W16 and caused him to struggle. His successful recovery, with the team’s backing, proved his capacity to overcome difficulties and restore his diminishing self-assurance.
This experience will prove beneficial in his sophomore year; should challenges arise as Antonelli adapts to the updated rules, he will at least possess the assurance that he can regain his peak performance.
Furthermore, we must recall his top-three finishes in Montreal and Brazil, along with his ascent from 17th to third in Las Vegas following a prolonged run on hard compound tires. He has exhibited considerably more than mere hints of ability, and his current objective will be to consistently compete at Russell’s level.
Owen Bellwood’s pick: Isack Hadjar
The group of novice drivers who joined Formula 1 in 2025 proved impressive – particularly given that only one new competitor is slated for the grid next year, and no full-time debutants appeared in 2024. Experts were justified in commending Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto for his steady performance throughout the season, and Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli displayed moments of exceptional skill during the year, but for my part, Isack Hadjar undoubtedly stands out as the rookie of the season.
The driver for Racing Bulls began the year with a difficult experience, colliding during the Australian Grand Prix’s formation lap and subsequently incurring the displeasure of Helmut Marko. However, first-year campaigns are fundamentally about growth through errors, and he certainly demonstrated that.
Following an emotional embrace with Lewis Hamilton’s father in Melbourne, Hadjar truly commenced his season in China, where he surpassed his far more seasoned teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, in both qualifying and the grand prix race. His year was subsequently marked by strong finishes in the points and even a podium placement at the Dutch Grand Prix. He concluded the season as the second-highest ranked Red Bull driver after Max Verstappen, securing a move up to the main squad for 2026.
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls, Alan Permane, Racing Bulls
Photo by: Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / Getty Images
It appears that for the first time in an extended period, Hadjar is a competitor who might have progressed through the Red Bull young driver system at an appropriate speed – his next challenge is to demonstrate that the supposed ‘curse’ associated with the main team’s second driver position is, in fact, unfounded.
Ben Vinel’s pick: Andrea Kimi Antonelli
While a compelling argument for Isack Hadjar is undeniable, I’m deliberately taking a slightly unconventional approach by choosing Andrea Kimi Antonelli in this instance.
Antonelli held the distinction of being F1’s third-youngest competitor in history and ascended to the series with remarkably limited prior experience compared to the majority of first-year drivers. He bypassed Formula 3, participated for only a single season in Formula 2, and conducted a substantial amount of testing in previous-generation F1 vehicles before his inaugural race.
Beginning his career with a leading team posed a considerable challenge, and his impressive displays in the initial races – such as securing sprint pole in Miami – eventually gave way to difficulties during the middle of the season. Antonelli evidently felt the strain at Mercedes, even with the team’s efforts to alleviate it, a fact underscored by his emotional reaction following two consecutive Q1 eliminations at Spa-Francorchamps.
Nevertheless, the prodigious talent rebounded during the final segment of the season, transforming into a regular points earner and achieving two successive top-three results in Las Vegas and Sao Paulo – the initial one occurring somewhat by chance following the disqualification of the McLarens.
This development is promising and generates anticipation for his future performances.
Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
Filip Cleeren’s pick: Gabriel Bortoleto
I anticipate many colleagues will choose Isack Hadjar, and that selection is likely factually correct. However, I am opting for a somewhat less celebrated choice. Gabriel Bortoleto genuinely captivated me from the outset with his mindset. While other young drivers expressed apprehension about their Formula 1 debut in rainy Melbourne conditions, Bortoleto embraced it as a chance to distinguish himself. After all, why fret over situations beyond one’s influence?
Transitioning from leading positions in development categories to the back of the Formula 1 field was challenging for the Brazilian F2 titleholder, yet Sauber’s enhancements in Barcelona began to provide him with opportunities to excel. Alongside multiple finishes in the points, Bortoleto truly impressed in qualifying, overcoming single-lap expert Hulkenberg eight consecutive times and ultimately concluding their direct qualifying matchups at 15-15. Inquiring with anyone at Sauber – or soon, Audi, one might say – reveals universal satisfaction with the 21-year-old’s dedication.
Were there any novice mistakes? Undoubtedly, one need only consider the challenging, growth-inducing weekend he encountered at his home event in Sao Paulo. However, all of these incidents contribute to his accumulating experience, and he will emerge as a more skilled driver in his second season because of them.
