Van der Garde expects a lot from this F1 rookie: 'A diamond in the rough'
F1 News
- Cas van de Kleut
For the upcoming 2025 season, there are six drivers on the grid who will be rookies, all taking part in their first full season in Formula 1. But which of these drivers are going to do well? Speaking to Motorsport, Giedo van der Garde expressed his expectations about the rookies.
With Oliver Bearman, Liam Lawson, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar, Gabriel Bortoleto and Jack Doohan, there will be six new full-time drivers in F1 in 2025. All drivers have proven themselves in the classes preceding Formula 1, so it will be interesting to see which drivers can also compete for victories in the premier class of motorsport.
Van der Garde on Bearman and Antonelli
Van der Garde is very excited about the rookies' arrival into the sport, expecting a lot from certain drivers, including Bearman. The Brit already made three appearances in Formula 1 last season. The former F1 driver therefore said: "He is a diamond in the rough in my eyes. And I think he is going to do well alongside Esteban Ocon, who should obviously be pulling the cart at Haas given his experience. I do expect him to go over the Frenchman a few times and at other times he will be very close."
The analyst also spoke out about Antonelli. The only 18-year-old Italian will make his debut for Mercedes this season after competing in just one season of Formula 2. Van der Garde stated that the brand-new Mercedes driver has the talent and speed to become a great driver. However, he did indicate that the talent should then not do too many crazy things, also shown after his FP1 session at the Italian Grand Prix where Antonelli put his Mercedes in the tyre pile at Monza.
Van der Garde concluded by advising that rookies, no matter how difficult it is, should keep their calm. As far as the Dutchman is concerned, the talents should not show in their first qualifying that they are the greatest talent ever in the sport, only to end up in the wall. According to the analyst, it is about young drivers building their way in Formula 1 step by step.
This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy
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