Google+ Jack Leslie F1: How the F1 2016 rookies have fared so far

24 April 2016

How the F1 2016 rookies have fared so far

Several fresh faces have joined the F1 grid in 2016, with varying results and performances after the opening three rounds. 
© Manor F1 Team
With a break between the races in China and Russia, I thought it would be the perfect time to take a look at how they have fared so far. 

Jolyon Palmer claimed the GP2 championship in 2014 but failed to find a drive on the grid for the following season. He was picked up by Lotus as its reserve driver and did enough to earn himself a seat for the 2016 season, following the team’s takeover by Renault. 
© Renault

I wasn’t expecting too much from Palmer. It took him four seasons to claim the GP2 title and his feeder series results weren’t particularly eye-catching. But so far, he’s done a solid job and proved to be a decent match for the highly-rated Kevin Magnussen, who was a late addition to Renault after replacing Pastor Maldonado. 

Renault is set for a tough 2016 season following last year’s late financial struggles. It’s a year of rebuilding and that won’t make things any easier for Palmer in his rookie season. He out-qualified Magnussen in Australia and finished 11th, although he was just ahead of his team-mate, who had to fight from the back after a lap one puncture. 

Bad luck and reliability meant he failed to even start in Bahrain and he’d been a little off the pace compared to Magnussen all weekend. In China he qualified down in 19th and struggled with the balance of the RS16 all race, finishing last of the 22 runners. It was a disastrous weekend but Palmer didn’t do much wrong, the car just lacks performance. So, he’s done a decent job so far in 2016, but there should be more to come from both Palmer and Renault. 

Pascal Wehrlein has had a successful few years, having won races in Formula 3, become DTM’s youngest ever driver to stand on the top step of the podium and securing the title last year. He also was named Mercedes’ reserve driver in F1 at the end of 2014 and completed numerous tests in the series throughout 2015. 

He impressed enough to land a seat with Manor for the 2016 season. With a new car, Mercedes power unit and a talented rookie at the wheel, it’s no surprise Manor has moved into the midfield pack. The team has bounced back from its 2015 struggles and done a solid job with the MRT05, it’s a good car and a solid base for Manor to build on. 
© Manor F1 Team

Pace wise, it’s good enough for the back of the midfield, but Wehrlein has dragged the car higher up the order than it should on several occasions. He had a great start in Australia and mixed it with bigger teams, ultimately finishing 16th after a strong debut. The German battled closely with the Saubers, Renaults and Force Indias in Bahrain, coming home 13th. 

He then backed that up with a great drive in China despite taking the chequered flag in 18th. An alternative strategy saw him move up the order early on but unlike his team-mate, he managed to stay at the sharp end for quite some time before gradually slipping down the field. 

Wehrlein has been very impressive so far, it’s no surprise Mercedes snapped him up as their reserve driver. I’m excited to see what both Wehrlein and Manor can do during the season and I imagine he’ll be one of the top choices for Mercedes, should a spot open up at the team in the near future. 

Rio Haryanto joins Wehrlein at Manor, making it an all-rookie line-up. He spent several years in GP2, with fairly mediocre results, a top championship position of fourth at his fourth attempt in 2015. Compared to his team-mate, he’s had less F1 experience and does come with strong financial backing from his native Indonesia. 

I’d probably describe his start to 2016 as ‘steady’. Unlike Wehrlein, he’s failed to really capture our attention and needs to step it up a but if he wants to prove his pace and talent, which we saw flashes of during his time in GP2 and other feeder categories. He retired in Australia with a driveshaft problem and then finished 17th in Bahrain and 21st in China, doing a good job of fending off Palmer’s Renault.
© McLaren

Finally, there’s Stoffel Vandoorne. He got a late call to replace Fernando Alonso at McLaren for the Bahrain GP thanks to the Spaniard’s injuries, which he sustained in his Australia crash. It was far from ideal preparation for the F1 rookie but he really did do a spectacular job and was right on the pace. It’s hardly a surprise though. 

He was wonderfully quick in GP2, taking the title with ease at his second attempt last year, and has plenty of F1 experience thanks to being part of McLaren’s young driver programme. He’s tipped by many as one of the best young racing drivers out there and I’d have to agree, he’s on another level and completely deserves a proper shot at the series. 

In Bahrain he did well throughout practice despite limited running and out-qualified Jenson Button. The Belgian lined up 12th and finished the race in 10th after a mature performance, picking up McLaren’s first point of the season. It was a very positive debut for Vandoorne and proved just how ready he is for a full seat. He is racing in the Japanese Super Formula championship in 2016, as he wants for his F1 chance.

No comments: