Formula 1 is notoriously a difficult sport to get into, especially for young drivers looking to get their chance from the lower divisions such as Formula 2.
The 2024 season is the perfect example of this. It marks the first year in F1 history that the grid has remained the same from the end of the previous year, with no driver transfers or rookies coming in.
But that is certainly changing for 2025, with several drivers switching teams and shaking the grid up for the new year. As of the end of July, there are four seats still up for grabs.
One of the other 16 spots confirmed will be a new face, with PREMA’s Oliver Bearman linking up with Haas alongside Esteban Ocon. While it has not been announced yet, it is anticipated that his Formula 2 teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be given the vacant Mercedes seat to replace Lewis Hamilton.
Seeing F2 drivers being given a chance to prove themselves at the pinnacle of motorsport will no doubt be great for the sport and fans. But speaking with The Race, some of the PREMA duo’s rivals have mixed feelings about their opportunities in F1.
Joshua Duerksen, Paul Aron and Dennis Hauger give their thoughts on their rivals’ chances in Formula 1
Bearman got his first proper taste of F1 machinery at this season’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – in a Ferrari no less as he replaced Carlos Sainz, who had been sidelined with appendicitis. The Brit performed admirably over the weekend and came home to score points on debut in seventh.
While his future is secured with Haas for next season, Bearman is having a difficult year in F2 as he sits 15th in the standings. Of the 14 drivers ahead of him in the championship, only Antonelli – who is seventh – seems to be in line for an F1 seat.
While all the attention is on the PREMA drivers, many other F2 talents feel they are being overshadowed, including AIX Racing’s Joshua Durksen.
“To be honest, I feel it [overlooked],” he said. “Especially me, because I had a tough season in FRECA, the season just didn’t go the way we meant it to because we had many many issues.
“Of course, I felt like an underdog; nobody was really paying attention to me or everybody was really doubting if I was capable of driving F2.
“I’m pretty sure this happens to many other drivers. But of course, Antonelli and Bearman are great drivers.”
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Paul Aron was axed by Mercedes in 2023, and he believes that the rest of the F2 grid should also be in the spotlight as the PREMA drivers find themselves in.
The Estonian said in Jeddah: “It’s great that Ollie has the chance, but I think you shouldn’t take the light off the other guys on the F2 grid.
“There’s still a lot of talent here and it’s always great for somebody to be able to make the step up but everybody here is trying to give their best. And I think there’s many drivers… if they had the chance, they would do a good job.”
Former Red Bull junior Dennis Hauger also echoed these feelings and expressed his frustrations at other F2 drivers getting their chance in F1 over him, including his teammate Franco Colapinto who drove for Williams in FP1 at Silverstone.
“I have nothing but respect for Kimi and Ollie, just to say that, and I think they are good drivers for sure,” he said.
“But looking at the facts, obviously, there are other drivers that are in front in the championship this year that are not in a junior team, and don’t have a chance. For example, Paul.”
“I’ve never even got a shot in an F1 car [whereas] there’s other guys. For example, my team-mate today, so it sometimes can be frustrating – but it is how it is.”
The 2024 Formula 2 title is all to play for
The 2024 season is nearing its conclusion and the title is still up for grabs with four rounds to go in F2.
Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar currently leads the standings by 36 points over McLaren’s Gabriel Bortoleto, with Aron sat in third five points behind the Brazilian.
Zane Maloney and Jak Crawford are the other two drivers on a triple-digit points tally, while Colapinto and Antonelli stand a slim outside chance.
The series heads to Monza at the end of August as Hadjar looks to extend his lead at the top.