John N
Who are the best and most exciting prospects on the way to Formula 1? And who should you be paying attention to this season? From those who’ve finished their learning year in Formula Renault 2.0, to those looking for GP3 glory, we profile the top performing youngsters coming through the ranks to F1.
Jamie Chadwick
Not only was Sarah Chadwick the class of the field in her two seasons of competition with the W Series, but she also served as a Williams F1 development driver and made her debut in a new Extreme E series. She won titles in Formula Regional European, Formula 3 and Formula 4. She’s also experienced in sportscar racing and is a proven winner.
Robert Schwartzman
Robert Schwartzman has been a dominant name in the F3 world in the past three seasons. In his first year of F2, he was as strong as he has been any other season, finishing fourth and second respectively but it was just an unlucky start that prevented him from challenging champion Oscar Piastri more closely: all eight of his podiums (two wins) came in the final 17 races. He is still hopeful of making the F1 grid in the coming years, and will spend 2022 as an F1 test driver for Ferrari.
Juri Vips
Juri Vips, was seen as a frontrunner to compete in F1 in 2020 with AlphaTauri, but was leapfrogged by Yuki Tsunoda after a Covid-19-disrupting campaign in 2020 prevented him from racing in Japanese Super Formula. Vips became the first F2 driver to win twice in a single weekend at Baku last year, but he needs to improve on his sixth-place finish overall if he’s to finally make the step up to F1.
3. Authur Leclerc
Despite competing in karting championships, the younger brother of F1 driver Charles Leclerc took a break from racing for nearly three years as his family focused on Charles’ success. Arthur Leclerc has now returned to competitive racing in both ADAC F4 and Formula Regional European. After a slow start to life in F3 with PREMA, Leclerc ended the year with two wins and seven successive points finishes.
Sophia Floersch
Having contested a variety of series over the course of her career, including the European Le Mans Series, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, World Endurance Championship, FIA Formula 3 and Formula Regional European championships, Sophia Floersch has a wealth of experience. In 2021, she finished 18 th in her rookie season of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters as well as notching up her first podium finish at Portimao in the European Le Mans Series.
Logan Sargeant
Despite being forced to remain in F3 for a year longer than he wanted, American Logan Sargeant transformed the minnow Charouz outfit into race winners and led them to their best ever points tally, earning himself a spot in the Williams Driver Academy for his efforts.
Victor Martins
Last season, Victor F3 proved himself to be a thrilling and effective overtaker, after winning the 2020 Formula Renault Eurocup. He is likely to remain in F3 for another season, where he’ll look to add the F3 title to his steadily growing trophy cabinet.
Frederik Vesti
Frederik Vesti spent three years convincing the Mercedes junior programme to sign him, and rewarded them last year with a title challenge in F3. A solid effort, he will need to produce an even higher standard in F2 this season if he is to convince the world champions to promote him.
Liam Lawson
Talented youngster Liam Lawson showed his potential in his rookie year of F2, outperforming several more experienced competitors. The promising Red Bull junior finished as vice-champion, but was denied the title in a controversial finale. He will definitely be one to watch for the F2 title in 2021, when he switches to Carlin from Hitech.
Caio Collet
Alpine-backed Brazilian Caio Collet, runner-up in French Formula Renault in 2020, showed on several occasions last year why he’s rated so highly by the French team. He scored two podiums in the first two rounds before finishing fifth or better in his last eight races in Formula 3 – although it’s doubtful he will return to F3 next year.
Jack Doohan
Jack Doohan struggled during the F3 season in 2020, failing to take any points. However, after a move to Trident, he had a successful year and placed third in the championship, with victories and seven podiums. Son of five-time MotoGP world champion Mick Doohan, Jack will make the step up to F2 this season with vice-champions Virtuosi.
Ugo Ugochukwu
Ugo Ugochukwu, a 14-year-old karting phenomenon from New York, reached an agreement with the McLaren driver development programme last March. Signed at the same age as Lewis Hamilton, Ugo already has several karting titles in his native USA and in Europe under his belt, including the 2020 FIA OKJ European Championship. Hailing from New York, the 14-year-old spent 2021 in the OK junior classes, finishing second in WSK Euro Series.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
A serial winner throughout karting, Mercedes snapped up the Italian back in 2019, when he was just 12 years old and still racing mini karts. Made his single-seater debut in Italian F4 last year, where he scored three podiums in his first nine races.
Oliver Bearman
As a rookie, Oliver Bearman won’t face the same pressure at PREMA as experienced drivers Alexander Leclerc and George Crawford. Still, the British Ferrari junior will have large shoes to fill after becoming the first driver in the history of ADAC and Italian F4 to win both titles in 2021.
Jak Crawford
Having raised eyebrows last year by testing F3 machinery at only 15, Red Bull junior Jak Crawford made the step up as ADAC F4 vice-champion just days after his 16th birthday. Enjoying a steady first year, with one podium, the American will remain in F3 and switch in 2022 to PREMA, who have won the last three drivers’ titles.
Maya Weug
Maya made history as the first female member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, having won the FIA and Ferrari’s Girls on Track – Rising Stars initiative. She was rewarded with a seat in Italian F4. The 17-year-old, who was born in Spain to a Belgian mother and a Dutch father, enjoyed an educational first year of single-seaters, which ended with an official FIA F3 test in France.
Jonny Edgar
British racing driver Jonny Edgar (born in Cumbria) earned the second-highest rating by Red Bull of any rookie in the 2013 F3 season. He scored five top-10 finishes with Carlin that year and switched to Trident for a second season of F3 in 2014. He was the winner of the 2020 ADAC F4 series.
Theo Pourchaire
In the last 18 months alone, 20-year-old Frenchman Theo Pourchaire has become F2 and F3’s youngest ever race winner, taken pole at Monaco and been linked with an F1 seat. Hailed as “one of the best” for the future by Alfa Romeo boss Frederic Vasseur, the likeable Pourchaire’s progression from 2019 ADAC F4 champion to 2022 F2 title favorite has all been done with an infectious smile. Expect to see his trademark sliding out of his car and lifting of the P1 board after victory on several occasions next season – and maybe even the title along with it.
Dennis Hauger
Norwegian Hauger overcame the difficulties of his rookie season in F3, to dominate in his sophomore season with PREMA. Stepping up to F2 as champion, following an impressive nine podiums and four wins, the Red Bull junior now has the daunting task of replacing Oscar Piastri as a member of the Prema team.
Oscar Piastri
The fact that Oscar Piastri hasn’t yet been signed by a Formula One team is almost as surprising as his achievements in the past three years. Not even Charles Leclerc or George Russell managed to win three single-seater titles in a row on their way up the ladder, but in 2021 Piastri followed up his 2019 Formula Renault and 2020 F3 successes with the F2 title. Consistency is the greatest tool in Piastri’s armory. Finishing outside of the points just four times in F2, he took 14 top-five finishes from 23 races, including a haul of six wins and five podiums.
