The 2025 season will certainly be remembered for McLaren’s dominance, its driver management strategy—which we can only assess fully at the end of the year—and the ups and downs of Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari, making the fight for second place in the constructors’ championship particularly intriguing.
At the start of the championship, however, no one expected such a high level of interest in following the rookies’ performances. With six new drivers, considering that Isack Hadjar had only participated in the final races of 2024 with Williams, the assumption was that there would be noticeable differences between them. Instead, we are witnessing an extremely compelling scenario. Among the newcomers, only Franco Colapinto and Oscar Piastri in the Alpine cars have struggled more, while it is genuinely difficult to predict who might deserve the “Rookie of the Year” title.
We can likely rule out Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Despite claiming a podium finish in Canada, his European stint has been disappointing, especially given that he drives a Mercedes. For the others, it remains hard to determine who has the best chances of winning this coveted award. Isack Hadjar, for instance, is in a strong position—ninth in the drivers’ standings, ahead of experienced competitors like Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, and Carlos Sainz—even while driving for the Racing Bulls.
The competition between Oliver Bearman and Gabriel Bortoleto, however, is extremely tight. Driving for Haas and Sauber respectively, neither has a car capable of consistently scoring points. Yet, whenever the opportunity has presented itself, both drivers have delivered. Most recently, Oliver Bearman finished ninth in Singapore, demonstrating his potential.
Sam Bird praises Bearman and Hadjar, excludes Antonelli from top contention
Among the admirers of Haas rookie Oliver Bearman is former Formula 1 driver and current McLaren Formula E racer Sam Bird. During a BBC ‘Chequered Flag’ podcast interview, Bird stated, “Bearman will soon be in a position to fight for podiums and victories. I think he could achieve this within a year or maybe two. He has already been significantly quicker than Esteban Ocon this year, especially in qualifying.”
Bird added, “Every now and then, there may have been a few mistakes, but he is proving his worth. Looking at the rookies as a whole, I think Hadjar has driven exceptionally well so far, and Bearman has done the same. In my opinion, they have been the best—truly outstanding. Antonelli has improved recently, but I wouldn’t say he has stood out.”
The British driver also made one final remark: “Bortoleto has managed to shine at times as well. Those three have been fantastic,” reports ‘Crash.net’.
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