Formula One fans may not need introductions to Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, but they’ve got a handful of new names to learn as three drivers embark on their rookie F1 seasons this year.
Oscar Piastri of McLaren is one of the brightest talents seen in junior categories for some time, making his debut after a drama-filled jump from Alpine to the papayas.
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AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries is older than more than half of the F1 grid and earned “super sub” status last year when he replaced Alex Albon at the Italian Grand Prix and finished in the points, paving the way for a full-time ride.
Logan Sargeant of Williams is the first American to race in F1 since 2015, after believing his dreams of reaching the pinnacle of grand prix racing to be in ruins less than two years ago.
The thing about succeeding in Formula One is that it’s about more than racking up points and podiums (those are wonderful, of course). As the grid’s newcomers, Piastri, de Vries and Sargeant will also be judged on myriad matters that can’t be put into numbers or rewarded with trophies, from how they communicate with their engineers, to how they work with their teammate, to how they cope with the stress of making the leap to the pinnacle of motorsport.
And we’ll be watching how they do.
How our rankings will work
Throughout this year, The Athletic will be regularly tracking the progress of F1’s rookie crop, both on and off the track. Being an F1 driver goes beyond what you do behind the wheel, particularly in an era of “Drive to Survive” and social media. So to add an extra element of fun to proceedings, we’ll also score them on their adaptation to life in F1.
After each race, we’ll use a points system to award our three rookies for what they did well, and penalize them for their missteps. Think of the Hogwarts house cup system, but without Dumbledore there to pile on points and push Gryffindor over the top at the end of each year.
A couple of things to note here:
- We’ll generally give points in the single to low two-digit range: say 5 points for a terrific lap or pass, or -10 for chewing out your mechanics in public — that’s just a bad look.
- Major accomplishments will blow past that range. If any of these fellows ends up on the podium, expect us to shell out serious pointage.
- We will strive for fairness, so successes and boneheaded moves are rewarded and punished consistently from one driver and day to the next.
- However! This is a qualitative spin on a quantitative system, and you’ll have to expect some differences of opinion. We may be more impressed with a given maneuver than you, or particularly bothered by a snotty Instagram post that others find totally cool. You (and our rookies) will just have to make peace with that.
- We hope your share your thoughts in the comments, especially if you think we missed any highlights.
So, before we get going on our first edition, let’s meet the newbies.
Oscar Piastri
Specs
Age: 21
Team: McLaren
Race Number: 81
2021 results: F1 reserve driver with Alpine
What he’s won: The young Australian has been a standout as he climbed through the junior single-seater series, becoming a Formula Renault Eurocup champion in 2019 and F3 champion in 2020. He won the Formula Two championship by more than 50 points in 2021.
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What else you need to know: Piastri’s junior series success made him an eye-catching talent to Formula One teams, so much so that Alpine and McLaren battled for his services ahead of the 2023 season. The Alpine junior did not race last year, instead spending the time as the F1 team’s reserve driver. But when the team announced Piastri would be part of their 2023 driver lineup when Fernando Alonso confirmed his move to Aston Martin, the reserve driver denied Alpine’s claim, then announced he was headed to McLaren. The situation ended up in front of the Contract Recognition Board, and it deemed McLaren’s contract was valid.
Season target: After preseason testing and a Bahrain Grand Prix DNF, this goal is more muddled from the outside looking in. McLaren missed development targets during the winter and has promised car changes that should take it forward, but a good goal for Piastri would be consistent points and getting close to his highly regarded teammate, Lando Norris.
In his own words: “In terms of my junior results, it’s been my ticket to F1,” Piastri said in F1 testing. “For me, it’s only a good thing that I can look back at with confidence. Regarding the contract situation last year, I think it’s closed and clear cut. I don’t think that aspect in particular adds anything.
“There’s an element of expectation, but that’s to be expected for all rookies. We’re one of 20 drivers in F1 so there’s always going to be a lot of eyes on us.”
Nyck de Vries
Specs
Age: 28
Team: AlphaTauri
Race Number: 21
2022 results: One F1 race (9th in the Italian Grand Prix), 9th in Formula E championship
What he’s won: It’s hard to call de Vries a complete rookie given his winning portfolio and F1 experience. Heading into Saudi Arabia, he’s already competed in two F1 races. In addition to his Formula E championship in 2020-21 with Mercedes, de Vries has hardware from winning the Formula Renault and F2 titles.
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What else you need to know: The Dutchman became a highly sought after driver after his F1 debut in Monza (he replaced Alex Albon, who was sidelined with appendicitis). He ran multiple practice sessions in the 2022 cars thanks to Aston Martin, Williams and Mercedes while serving as the Silver Arrows’ reserve driver.
Season target: The 28-year-old set the standards fairly high when he hopped into a Williams and scored points in his F1 debut last season. His talent is undeniable, but what can he do with an AlphaTauri? The team has made it known that the performance isn’t where it should be, but de Vries’s season target should be making it to the second round of qualifying consistently, with his eyes set on tracks with quicker corners, where the car is well-suited. His experience means matching teammate Yuki Tsunoda is an immediate target: Even Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s team advisor, thinks de Vries should be able to lead the team from the get go.
In his own words: “In terms of the work with the team and my preparation towards the racing, I would say it’s not miles away from what I was used to in terms of professional racing,” he said in Saudi Arabia about life as a rookie. “But still, when you go through the experience for the first time, it is a bit different, and you need to adapt, and suddenly everything, it does still feel like a first day at school kind of thing. Let’s put it that way.
“Of course I’ve been around for some time, so you kind of know what to expect, and you at least know how teams operate and work. But then when you actually run through the process, it’s always a bit different.”
Logan Sargeant
Specs
Age: 22
Team: Williams
Race Number: 2
2021 results: 4th in Formula 2 championship
What he’s won: Unlike the other rookies, the American driver has not won a championship since starting his single-seater career. He managed to record pole positions and victories that kept him on teams’ radars, though, as he navigated his way through finishing runner-up in F4 UAE, third in British F4 and third in F3.
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What else you need to know: Sargeant is the first American on the F1 grid since Alexander Rossi in 2015. He made the jump to Europe to chase the dream of being a F1 driver, and before he even had enough points on his Super License, Williams’ Jost Capito announced in Austin their academy driver would be part of the 2023 driver lineup alongside Alex Albon — as long as he had the required points.
Season target: Williams may have finished at the bottom of last season’s standings, but the team — and Sargeant — came out firing on all cylinders in Bahrain qualifying and the race. The rookie recorded the same time as Lando Norris in the first round of qualifying, but because the McLaren driver did his fast lap first, Norris advanced to Q2, leaving Sargeant to start P16. The American made up for it with a clean opening lap and race, finishing just outside of the points at P12. This sweet spot of a 12th ranking in the driver standings should be the target, with occasional points and Q2 appearances as Williams continues to develop its car.
In his own words: “From my personal side there were really no expectations,” Sargeant said about his F1 debut in Bahrain. “It was really just go in and drive and see where that left me, give myself the baseline to move forward from.
“I learned a lot through the weekend. Not only did I show myself I have the pace, but I got through a lot of operational stuff in terms of my first race start, pit stops, tire management. I just learned a lot really and it puts me in a good position moving forward.”
Getting to the points
After the debut race of 2023 in Bahrain, here’s what we’re calling out. A clean enough start for all three, not a demerit in sight.
Piastri
- Made a decent start in the race before his electrical issue: 5 points
De Vries
- No major errors, strategy hindered chance to fight back from qualifying: 10 points
Sargeant
- Clean opening lap that gained several spots: 15 points
- Nearly got out of Q1, tying Norris’ time: 5 points
2023 F1 rookie rankings
| Driver | Incoming Total | Bahrain Points | Season Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Oscar Piastri | 0 | 5 | 5 |
Nyck de Vries | 0 | 10 | 10 |
Logan Sargeant | 0 | 20 | 20 |
(Photo of Logan Sargeant, Oscar Piastri and Nyck de Vries: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto / Getty Images)
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