Stepping up to Formula One is not an easy job, for any rookie, it’s the realisation of a life long dream and, potentially, the beginning of a long journey ahead.
This season we welcomed four rookies to the grid, three began their careers back in Melbourne with one joining at the halfway stage in Spa.
Jolyon Palmer, Pascal Wehrlein, Rio Haryanto and Esteban Ocon were all in the spotlight as they made their F1 debuts at respective Grand Prix’s.
All had tasted success at lower levels before their F1 adventures began; Palmer was GP2 champion in 2014 and test driver for Lotus in 2015. Wehrlein was DTM champion last year, as well as managing the role of Mercedes reserve driver. Haryanto won numerous races in GP2 and finally, Ocon beat, of all drivers, Max Verstappen to the Euro F3 title in 2014 and won the GP3 series.
The four drivers had made a name for themselves but now it was their biggest test.
As part of Read Motorsport’s season review, we will be looking back through each drivers year in F1 and pick out some their most memorable and rather forgettable moments during their debut campaigns.
What happened since 2016?
The four rookie stories split in very different directions. Jolyon Palmer remained with Renault into 2017 but lost his race seat before the end of that season and moved into broadcasting. Rio Haryanto never returned to a full-time F1 drive after his Manor stint, making his 2016 half-season the peak of his Grand Prix career.
Pascal Wehrlein looked the most likely Mercedes protege at the time, but his F1 route narrowed quickly. He moved to Sauber in 2017, left the grid after that season and rebuilt his career in Formula E, where he became a Porsche factory driver and a world champion.
Esteban Ocon became the clear F1 success story from the group. After joining Manor mid-season, he moved to Force India, later raced for Renault and Alpine, and claimed a breakthrough Grand Prix victory in Hungary in 2021. By 2026, Ocon was still on the F1 grid with Haas, proof that the rookie with the least 2016 mileage ultimately built the longest top-level stay.
