New Formula 1 generation: a result of a new trend or a need for replacement?

10/05/2024 04:55 AM

Formula 1, a world boasting great technical excellence, is not immune to being influenced by trends. This cannot be explained otherwise, as there are historical cycles that repeat themselves roughly every decade.

After last year’s record of stability, with a market that didn't propose a single change in the team/driver lineup for 2024, there is now a renewed focus on young talents in the paddock.

It happened in 2006/2007, with the arrival of a high-quality quartet (Hamilton, Rosberg, Kubica, Vettel), and something similar occurred in the 2018/2019 seasons with the Norris-Russell-Leclerc-Albon generation. These sparks of interest are separated by periods where the ‘experience’ factor is judged as fundamental in evaluating a driver's selection.

To reignite interest, a spark is always needed, and this season has provided several. It started with Oliver Bearman, who made his unexpected debut in Jeddah, a situation that cemented Mercedes’ decision to set aside the planned transition of Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Oliver Bearman's teammate in F2) to Williams, promoting him directly to replace Lewis Hamilton.

Then came the surprising debut of Franco Colapinto, who went from being a mysterious figure to a driver receiving significant attention inside and outside the Williams orbit within a few weeks. Alpine also made a bold move, promoting its Academy driver Jack Doohan to the main team.

In Formula 1, a new variable is not always welcome. When it comes to drivers, a new entry (especially a rookie) is seen as a risk. There are relationships to build, and even for the most talented, there’s additional work that needs to be accounted for, and this extra work is often considered a hassle.

However, today, many teams have a very useful tool to minimize risk—the ‘junior’ programs, the Academies that have been established (with varying degrees of success) by almost all teams for nearly two decades. But they are not always fully exploited, as in some cases the relationship is limited to funding careers (in a few cases fully, in many others partially) in feeder series and monitoring results.

There was much surprise regarding Franco Colapinto's debut, confirming that a simple analysis of results in the lower categories is not enough to have a clear picture of a driver's potential. A champion in Spanish F4 (in 2019), the Argentine moved up to F2 without showing numbers suggesting a future star.

Third in the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2020, sixth in the 2021 Formula Regional season, ninth and fourth in the following two years in Formula 3. Yet, at the beginning of 2023, Williams decided to include him in its Academy, guiding him through the F2 season (still ongoing) where the results have been good but not outstanding. A victory in Imola, two second places in Barcelona and Spielberg.

When it came time to find a replacement for Logan Sargeant in the paddock, Mick Schumacher, with two seasons behind him and some sponsorship, was considered the perfect candidate. This was the expected choice even by Mercedes (which has a technical partnership with Williams beyond supplying the power unit), but team principal James Vowles chose Franco Colapinto.

Franco also provided financial support to the team, but that wasn't the deciding factor. James Vowles had been in contact with the Argentine over the past year, following him closely and having the opportunity to evaluate his results in feeder series, a world where Franco Colapinto (without the budgets of top teams) never had access to top-tier squads.

It’s not just about putting a young driver in the official colors and waiting for successes in F3 and F2. To understand what talent you have, you need to dedicate time, offer opportunities, involve them, and put them to the test. Waiting for a report from the team they race for in lower categories is part of the job, but not everything.

In the 2025 season-opening Grand Prix in Melbourne, there will be at least four drivers starting their first full season in Formula 1, Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman, Liam Lawson, and Jack Doohan, all from junior programs. This is good news for those in the Academies because after years when entry into Formula 1 was limited to a few exceptions, perhaps teams have understood that with the right management of junior programs, it's possible to find in-house what was previously sought elsewhere, recycling experienced drivers who often had limited motivation.

The comeback of former top drivers has in most cases guaranteed golden retirements for those involved, but in terms of results, these operations have been failures, confirming that there's a risk margin in every choice. It's right that Formula 1 has champions like Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, drivers whose motivation has never wavered, but with only 20 seats available, it's also right that those who lower their guard can be replaced by someone who has done everything necessary to deserve a chance.

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