Although it might not seem it, but the 2015 Formula 1 Season is nearly hitting the halfway mark. So how have the new drivers to the grid been fairing in their first Formula 1 year? Well let’s take a look!
Will Stevens – 20th – 0pts
Will ran for Caterham in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year when the team made a comeback to the grid after not appearing since the Japanese Grand Prix. Will in the “Crowd-Funded” Caterham gave 2-time World Champion Fernando Alonso a good battle. This performance was enough for Manor-Marussia to give him a drive when they announced they had passed the FIA tests back in March. Despite not starting in Australia or Malaysia, Will has since then completed every race. His best finish came in the Chinese Grand Prix where he came 15th, he then finished 16th in Bahrain and has then finished 17th in every other race so far. His best grid position of the season is 18th which came in Bahrain and also in Monaco as well.
Roberto Merhi – 19th – 0pts
Just like his team-mate Roberto joined Manor-Marussia right before the Australian Grand Prix and did not even turn a wheel that weekend. Although unlike Stevens, Merhi got the chance to race in Malaysia where he recorded his best finish this season with a 15th place finish. He then went on to finish 16th in both China and Monaco, finished 17th in Bahrain, he recorded his lowest finishing position of 18th in his home race Spain and has also had to retire in the Canadian Grand Prix due to a drive-shaft failure. His best qualifying position is 19th which came at three venues, Malaysia, Bahrain and Monaco.
Max Verstappen – 14th – 6pts
At 17 years old Max is the youngest ever Formula 1 driver, a fact I am sure you have heard many times. Max’s season has been very mixed, he has had a lot of pressure and has been compared to having the characteristics of former World Champions. Max has had races where he has retired, Australia due to an engine failure, Bahrain due to an electronic issue, and Monaco due to an accident with Romain Grosjean. His best race of the season and currently the only one where he has scored points came in Malaysia where he finished 7th, but since then he has failed to score any more points finishing 17th in China, 11th in Spain and 15th in Canada. His best qualifying position so far in the year is 6th which came at both the Malaysian Grand Prix and Spanish Grand Prix.
Carlos Sainz Jr – 13th – 9pts
Carlos has had the better fortune of the Toro Rosso’s currently 1 place and 3 points better off than his team-mate Verstappen. Carlos Sainz Jr scored points at his debut race this season finishing in 9th place, he then went on to score points again in his next race finishing 8th in Malaysia, his best in the season so far. These two point scoring races were then followed by two non-point scoring races, he finished 13th in China and retired from the race in Bahrain due to a problem with his front left tyre after exiting the pits on lap 30. These two races were then followed by two more races where he finished in the points, finishing 9th in his home race of Spain, which is also where he recorded his best grid position which was a 5th place, and then finishing in 10th position to earn a point in the Monaco Grand Prix. He then went on to finish 12th in Canada two weeks after the race in Monaco.
Felipe Nasr – 10th – 16pts
Felipe Nasr is the highest places “rookie” driver in the season so far. Just like Carlos Sainz Jr did, Nasr finished in the points on his debut for the Sauber Formula 1 Team. After a long weekend of court sessions Nasr helped the team overcome their distraction by finishing an amazing 5th place in Australia, which is also his best finish of the season so far. A few race later and he was in the points again finishing 8th in China and a few races after that a 9th place in Monaco was recorded. Nasr has finished just outside the points on three occasions finishing 12th in Malaysia, Bahrain, and Spain. His lowest result of the season came in Canada where he finished 16th. His best qualifying position is 9th which came at the Chinese Grand Prix. Felipe is one of few drivers to finish every race this season.
With 12 races to go and plenty of points left to get, which of the 5 rookie drivers do you think will finish highest come the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi?
Images Courtesy of Sauber F1 Team
