Motor Sports
Best Young Drivers to Watch in F1 Today: Rising Talents in 2024
Each Formula 1 generation seems to take the sport to greater heights, and we are currently witnessing that with Lewis Hamilton leading an elite generation of drivers. Hamilton, along with Max Verstappen and others, were the immediate successors to Michael Schumacher’s generation. A younger generation is emerging currently, several of whom will be making their Formula 1 debut in 2025, while others slug it out in Formula 2 and other divisions.
Richard Verschoor and Trident leads the field//Getty Images
Overview
The younger emerging talent, as we have already mentioned above, is showing much promise, displaying immense talent and potential that will parallel that of the greats.
Many of them are already champions in top-tier series like Formula 2, Formula 3, and the F1 Academy.
Noting their exciting journeys in this top 10 list, we analyze their budding careers and zone in on their achievements, trajectories and plans for 2025.
Top 10 Young Drivers to Watch in F1 Today
| Rank | Driver | Age | Nationality | 2025 Series | Notable Achievements |
| 1 | Theo Pourchaire | 20 | French | Super Formula, Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber (Reserve) | 2022 FIA Formula 2 runner-up, 4th in 2023 season, rising F1 star |
| 2 | Isack Hadjar | 19 | French | FIA Formula 2 with Campos Racing | 2023 F3 runner-up, potential future F1 driver |
| 3 | Gabriel Bortoleto | 19 | Brazilian | FIA Formula 2 with Invicta Racing | 2023 F3 Champion, impressive talent |
| 4 | Marta Garcia | 23 | Spanish | Formula Regional European Championship (PREMA) | Experienced driver with consistent podium finishes |
| 5 | Victor Martins | 22 | French | TBC (Likely Formula 2 or higher) | 2022 Formula 3 Champion, major F1 prospect |
| 6 | Dino Beganovic | 19 | Swedish | FIA Formula 3 (PREMA Racing) | Known for his consistency and solid performance in F3 |
| 7 | Abbi Pulling | 20 | British | F1 Academy, British F4 (Rodin Motorsport) | Strong in junior series, making waves in F1 Academy |
| 8 | Luke Browning | 21 | British | FIA Formula 3 with Hitech Pulse-Eight | 2023 F3 standout, ready to make a mark in future F1 seasons |
| 9 | Doriane Pin | 20 | French | F1 Academy with PREMA Racing | Gaining valuable experience in F1 Academy, potential future F1 talent |
| 10 | Zak O’Sullivan | 18 | British | Super Formula (Kondo Racing) | 2023 Formula 3 runner-up and 2021 GB3 Champion |
Critical Consensus and Analysis
| Driver | Performance in 2023/2024 | F1 Potential | Growth Trajectory | Future F1 Entry |
| Theo Pourchaire | Consistent F2 podium finishes, Super Formula 2024 | High | Excellent potential | Likely 2025 F1 debut |
| Isack Hadjar | F2 success, rapid progression | Very High | Solid growth, poised to be F1-ready | Likely 2025 F1 debut |
| Gabriel Bortoleto | Strong F3 Championship win | Very High | Immediate potential for F2 | Likely 2026 F1 debut |
| Marta Garcia | Competitive F3 and Formula Regional | Medium | Steady improvement | Possible F1 Academy role |
| Victor Martins | 2022 F3 Champion, transitioning | Very High | High likelihood for F2 | Possible 2026 F1 debut |
| Dino Beganovic | Solid in F3, rapid adaptation to higher levels | Medium | Steady trajectory | Likely 2026 F1 debut |
| Abbi Pulling | Strong F1 Academy and F4 results | Medium | Rising star in junior categories | Possible F1 Academy Role |
| Luke Browning | Impressive FIA F3 results | High | Rapid development | Possible 2026 F1 debut |
| Doriane Pin | Strong performances in F1 Academy | Medium | Rising talent in Academy | F1 Academy Role |
| Zak O’Sullivan | Steady F2 rise, qualified sixth and finished seventh on his debut | Medium | Steady trajectory | Super Formula role in 2025 |
Analysis of Each Driver
Theo Pourchaire
Formula 2 Champion Theo Pourchaire//Getty Images
The young French driver is showing immense potential at only 21 years of age with a storied but relatively young racing career that points all the way back to karting.
He started karting as a toddler at only two and a half years old and only began racing competitively at the age of seven and won numerous championships.
He currently has three titles to his name, which are the French F4 Junior Championship, ADAC Formula 4, and his most recent being the FIA Formula 2 championship.
Pourchaire also has IndyCar racing experience and participated in the 2024 Series for Arrow McLaren, an experience he claimed to have enjoyed.
The Frenchman is projected to make his official Formula 1 debut in 2025, having already done so at the Hungaroring, in a private test.
Isack Hadjar
Isack Hadjar and Sergio Perez//Getty Images
His rise is one of the fastest in our list, especially considering that he was announced to be a driver for Red Bull in the 2025 season, picking up a vacant seat after some reshuffling in the team.
The 20-year-old French-Algerian also journeyed off with karting, which he began at the age of seven, and had a rapid rise in the French F4 up to F2, which was not so smooth at first, but Red Bull stuck with him.
The F1 practice outings he got with Red Bull at the Mexican and Abu Dhabi rounds with the AlphaTauri and the senior team eventually paid off, as his team’s patience and confidence in him was rewarded with four wins and several podium finishes.
Gabriel Bortoleto
Drivers Champion Gabriel Bortoleto//Getty Images
Gabriel Bortoleto is Brazil’s immediate hope after Felipe Massa, being the only full-time Brazilian to compete in the sport since the latter.
The 20-year-old, born in Sao Paolo, is the reigning F2 champion and had significant support from his father, Lincoln Oliveira, who is a businessperson involved in Brazil’s motor racing industry.
His move to Kick Sauber, which will earn him a Formula 1 debut this season, after his impressive F3 and F2 championships were nearly derailed by McLaren over his development contract.
The Brazilian’s official test debut for F1 happened in the 2024 post-season and he will be eager to kick-start his career at the highest level.
Marta Garcia
Marta Garcia of Spain//Getty Images
Born in Denia, Spain, Marta Garcia is the first female racer on our list and is currently competing in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship and has an F1 Academy title to her name.
Garcia competed in the W-Series in 2019, finishing fourth and was set to compete the following year before the competition was discontinued.
Overall, in her young career, she has 13 podium finishes, seven wins and has set the fastest lap 6 times. Her prospects for an F1 debut season are not promising yet, as she is set for an academy role as far as projections read.
Victor Martins
Race winner Victor Martins//Getty Images
Victor Martins has an Anthoine Hubert Award to his name as well as three championships won in Formula 3, the French F4 Junior Championship, and the Formula Renault Eurocup.
Martins diverted from a different sport before entering motorsport having been in gymnastics before racing in 2013.
Three years later, he went on to become the CIK-FIA Junior World Karting Champion and won many other titles throughout his karting career.
The Frenchman is projected to make his debut in 2026, with a likelihood of him competing in the Formula 2 series this year.
Dino Beganovic
Dino Beganovic of Sweden//Getty Images
The young driver with dual citizenship from Bosnia and Sweden is a Formula Regional European champion and the feat was achieved in 2022.
Beganovic’s current team is Hitech TGR, racing under car number 8 and was once under DAMS Lucas Oil.
He is known to be an avid simulation racer and participated in various events during the 2020 COVID pandemic and was also a member of Team Wrongline.
For 2025, the young driver who is known for his consistency and solid performances in F3, is expected to compete in the FIA Formula 2 series this year.
Abbi Pulling
Race winner Abbi Pulling//Getty Images
The second young female driver to feature on our list is Abbi Pulling who is of British descent and set to compete in the GB3 Championship for Rodin Motorsport in 2025.
Her career in motorsport began in 2013 at the age of eight years old and she only competed competitively in the sport the following year at the age of nine.
She has participated in the Ginetta Juniors, GT5 Challenge, and the discontinued W-Series as well as the F1 Academy, which she won in 2024.
Overall, she has nine wins in the F1 Academy, twenty-one podiums, set ten fastest laps and has had 35 starts. She will be competing in the series again this year as a defending champion.
Luke Browning
Luke Browning of Great Britain//Getty Images
Another British youngster, albeit male this time around, Luke Browning is still only 23 and one of the older youngsters in terms of age in this list.
Browning is set to compete in the 2025 FIA Formula 2, a series in which he has limited experience with only six starts to his name.
Unlike others who began their careers in karting, Browning started in car racing, with an appearance in the Junior Saloon Car Championship in his native country.
With three titles to his name from the F4 British Championship, GB3 Championship and the FIA Formula 3 World Cup, he will surely be looking to leave his mark in the F2 series this year.
Doriane Pin
Race winner Doriane Pin//Getty Images
Doraine Pin is a French racer, the third female on our list and our number nine, who is set to compete in the F1 Academy in 2025, with awards and a title to her name.
An achievement that stands out to us and is very telling about where she is headed, is the FIA WEC where she won the “The Revelation of the Year.”
Her Ferrari Challenge Europe journey began in 2021 with a sixth-place finish in the finale, which she improved on the following year by clinching the title with one round remaining.
Zak O’Sullivan
Zak O'Sullivan of Great Britain//Getty Images
The youngest driver on our list, Zak O’Sullivan, has signs of a potential Formula 1 great in the making.
The British racer has one title to his name which was won in 2021, the GB3 Championship and is a 2023 Formula 3 runner-up.
O’Sullivan also started karting and made his professional racing debut in 2019 in the Ginetta Junior Championship. In 2025, he will be racing in the Super Formula with Kondo Racing.
SportsBoom Suggestions
At SportsBoom.com, we are of the sound opinion that Brazil’s Gabriel Bortoleto is one driver to focus on, particularly because his potential promises to deliver greatness.
That is not to say the others will not reach greater heights, but as far as we can tell and despite him being number three on our list, he will make a name for himself.
Back-to-back Formula 2 and 3 championship triumphs are no small feat and with proper guidance and backing, which he already has from his father, the chances of him reaching Lewis Hamilton heights are alive.
Conclusion
The journeys of the young talent in this piece promise excitement as they are extraordinary athletes to look out for.
Of course, the challenge of climbing the ladder will not be easy for either of them, but the teams that are backing them will help groom these young drivers for greatness.
Be sure to keep a keen eye on all the featured prospects in this list as they embark on their journeys towards the grand stage of Formula 1 in years to come. All are still noticeably young, and as such, there is much to witness.
Jimmy is based in Johannesburg, South Africa and has a Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies. He’s a sports fanatic of several sporting disciplines which he is well versed with.