For the primary time in additional than a decade, Method 1 may have two drivers over 40 years of age on its grid when its new season begins in March.
Lewis Hamilton celebrated his fortieth birthday earlier this month whereas fellow a number of champion Fernando Alonso turns 44 later this 12 months. They’re the primary pair of forty-somethings to share the grid since Michael Schumacher and Pedro de la Rosa previous to their retirements on the finish of 2012.
Regardless of that, F1 has a way more youthful grid on the entire than final 12 months. The common age of the opponents in Australia for this 12 months’s season-opener will likely be 27.2 years, down from 29.4 in Bahrain when the 2024 season started.
A altering of the guard has taken place in the course of the low season. Skilled race-winners comparable to Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas have departed (together with Daniel Ricciardo shortly earlier than the top of final 12 months) together with a number of others. Of their place come six drivers embarking on their first full seasons.
Amongst them is Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who at 18 years and 203 days outdated when the brand new season begins will likely be F1’s youngest rookie since Lance Stroll in 2017. He will likely be joined by 19-year-old Oliver Bearman as F1 begins a season with two youngsters on the grid for the primary time since 2017 (Stroll and Max Verstappen).
F1 now has an uncommon unfold of ages, with two drivers every of their teenage years, thirties and forties, and the remaining of their twenties. The drivers would be the following ages when the brand new season begins:
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All bar one of many newcomers has chosen a profession quantity beforehand picked by an F1 driver. A number of latest champions’ numbers have returned: Bortoleto has taken 5, as utilized by Sebastian Vettel, Jack Doohan has seven which beforehand belonged to Kimi Raikkonen and Isack Hadjar will likely be quantity six, which Nico Rosberg had when he gained the title in 2016. Nevertheless that quantity was extra lately utilized by Nicholas Latifi in 2020-22.
As when he returned final 12 months, Lawson will use quantity 30, beforehand seen on Jolyon Palmer’s Renault in 2017. Andrea Kimi Antonelli will likely be quantity 12, which final appeared on Felipe Nasr’s Sauber in 2016.
Solely Oliver Bearman has chosen a quantity nobody has used because the FIA launched the present profession numbers system in 2014. In actual fact, his quantity 87 has solely appeared on an F1 automobile as soon as: Yves Girard-Cabantous’ Talbot on the 1951 German Grand Prix. The quantity was additionally utilized by numerous drivers who contested the Indianapolis 500 when it counted in direction of the world championship, although these weren’t F1 automobiles.
That leaves simply two groups who haven’t modified their driver line-ups for the upcoming season. They’re Aston Martin (Alonso and Stroll) and McLaren (Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri). Each are going into their third seasons as staff mates.
Perez’s departure means there will likely be no Mexican driver on the grid for the primary time since 2010, the season earlier than he made his debut. This 12 months’s Mexican Grand Prix is subsequently set to be the primary with no dwelling driver since 1992.
Conversely, Isack Hadjar’s arrival will increase the grid’s French contingent to a few, but that nation dropped off the calendar in 2022. Bearman boosts the British inhabitants to 4, and the presence of London-born Thai racer Alexander Albon means 1 / 4 of the grid can name the UK their dwelling.
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In 2024, Brazil produced its second Method 2 champion in three years. However whereas Aston Martin has not but seen match to provide 2022 champion Felipe Drugovich a race seat, Gabriel Bortoleto will contest the season for Sauber. He’s the primary reigning F2 champion to step up on to F1 since Mick Schumacher in 2021.
Bortoleto can also be the primary Brazilian to have a full-time F1 drive since Felipe Massa in 2017. Miami-born Brazilian racer Pietro Fittipaldi additionally began two races in its place in 2020. Antonelli’s debut means Italy has a full-time driver for the primary time since Antonio Giovinazzi misplaced his seat on the finish of 2021.
Bortoleto joins Nico Hulkenberg, who’s returning to Sauber, which he beforehand drove for in 2013. It’s the second time he’s gone again to an outdated staff, having left and rejoined Pressure India in 2012 and 2014 respectively.
With new rules due subsequent 12 months, the groups embark on this season understanding some huge adjustments are coming. That is Sauber’s final 12 months on the grid beneath its unique identification – once more, because it beforehand modified after 2005 (to BMW Sauber) and 2018 (to Alfa Romeo). It would grow to be Audi subsequent 12 months.
It additionally appears extremely doubtless this would be the final 12 months with a grid of simply 20 automobiles, as Cadillac has an settlement in precept to hitch subsequent 12 months, boosting the sphere to 22 opponents for the primary time since 2016.
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