Steiner gives verdict on 2025 F1 rookies: 'teams will take more chances'

The former Haas F1 team boss, offering his assessment on the best rookie on the current Formula 1 grid, stressed there weren’t any particularly bad rookies before praising the respective growth each driver has shown throughout the campaign.

“I think there is no really disappointing rookie; they are all very good. At the beginning of the season, for me, it was [Isack] Hajar, but he’s stabilised now, you don’t even think about him as a rookie anymore,” he said on the Drive to Wynn podcast.

“Oliver Bearman came alive in the second half of the season, doing a great job. [Gabriel] Bortoleto, in the beginning, was slow, but he was in a very slow car, and it’s very difficult to show anything in a slow car. But when he had the opportunity, he did well, except in the last two races, where I think he got a little bit too excited,” Steiner added.

The 60-year-old concluded by stressing that the promising rookie performances this season will likely inspire teams to invest in more young talent.

“There is no bad rookie here, and what this will do is encourage teams to take more chances on rookies going forward, because they see that the young kids coming in are good," he concluded.

Earlier, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff touched on the mystery behind Kimi Antonelli’s upsurge in performance.

The 53-year-old stated the pressure that comes with driving for a top team had initially played a part in the form dip the 19-year-old suffered.

Wolff concluded by stating Antonelli now appears familiar with the demands of F1, which has translated into his impressive form.

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