Before the season kicked off, we asked F1 TV lead commentator and F2 expert Alex Jacques for his lowdown on the new crop of rookies joining the top tier. And now, as the dust settles on their maiden campaign, we asked Alex for his verdict on how each of them got on…
Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
– Best finish: P2
– Total points: 150
Stand-out moments:
Sprint Qualifying pole in Miami made him the youngest ever polesitter in F1 history at just 18 years and 251 days old. His race pace on the way to a podium in Las Vegas was the first true glimpse of his exceptional racing ability.
How has he impressed?
Antonelli dealt with the intense scrutiny of replacing Lewis Hamilton relatively well and caught the eye with a drive from 16th to P4 at the season opener in Melbourne.
.webp?ssl=1 "James Hinchcliffe picks his top five drivers of the 2026 Formula 1 season so far")
.webp?ssl=1&description=How%20did%20the%20new%20kids%20on%20the%20grid%20do%20in%20their%20first%20F1%20season%3F){kind=link}