• 2015 rookies

The new kids on the block

Nate Saunders January 12, 2015

ESPN looks at 2015's three rookies and makes a few predictions about what we can expect from their debut seasons

Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso

Verstappen is one of the most exciting drivers to join F1 in recent years. In American sports there is a phrase, "can't-miss kid", to describe a young player whose talent seems to guarantee success. This is what Red Bull thinks it has with Verstappen, who well and truly puts the 'kid' back in 'wonderkid'. He's already an F1 record breaker and will be 17 years, 5 months and 14 days old when lights go out in Australia on March 15. Red Bull wasted no time last August by immediately signing Verstappen to Toro Rosso for 2015, with interest from Mercedes slightly forcing its hand. Verstappen did not win the European Formula 3 crown in 2014 but still claimed ten wins - including a run of six on the bounce in the middle of the season - on his way to finishing third in the championship in his first season after graduating from go-karts. It's an impressive feat for a young man being tipped to do remarkable things; Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has said he reminds him of a young Ayrton Senna. No pressure then, kiddo.

Verdict: It has already been suggested that Verstappen's tender age must mean modern F1 cars are too easy to drive. Cast your mind back to Australia last year and you will recall Daniil Kvyat frantically complaining to Toro Rosso about the amount of buttons he had to push on his steering wheel. It will be a baptism by fire but Verstappen took part in practice sessions last year and left a good impression, memorably saving a huge slide in Brazil with all the panache of a world champion. Cool and collected in the cockpit, Verstappen has also displayed a remarkable unflappability and poise in front of the media which belies his tender age. Like any youngster he will need patience but we could be seeing the start of a special career in 2015.

Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso

Unlike his new Toro Rosso team-mate, Carlos Sainz Jr took a tried-and-tested route into Formula One by winning the Formula Renault 3.5 championship last year. It made Sainz Jr the first Red Bull junior driver to achieve the feat; Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo both finished as runners-up. On that alone he earned his chance to drive for Toro Rosso and it would have been incredibly harsh had he lost out to Verstappen, a driver from further down the junior ladder. As it turned out Sebastian Vettel's departure from Red Bull led to Daniil Kvyat's early elevation and created another free seat for the Spaniard. His promotion to F1 is well-earned. Early career success in Formula BMW and Formula Renault 2.0 was followed by a frustratingly inconsistent season in Formula 3, before a disappointing GP3 campaign in 2013 where he was winless and team-mate Kvyat claimed the championship. Missing out on the 2014 Toro Rosso seat was the consequence. He had to win the Formula Renault 3.5 crown to prove his early success was not a flash in the pan and he deserves credit for the maturity he displayed in doing so when so much was at stake.

Verdict: The man he replaced as reigning Formula Renault 3.5 champion, Kevin Magnussen, will not be racing in Formula One next year, demonstrating the fickle nature of Formula One for young drivers. What Sainz has going for him is the fact the lights are slightly less bright at Toro Rosso than at a team like McLaren, which expects to be challenging for podiums with regularity, though Red Bull is hardly renowned for long-term patience with young drivers either - just ask Vergne or Jaime Alguersuari. There's no doubting Sainz is quick and the maturity he showed in 2014 suggests he has the mettle to turn outright pace into the consistency necessary to impress this year.

Felipe Nasr, Sauber

Felipe Nasr is proof that sometimes the 'pay driver' label can be a little unfair. Nasr came to Europe after success in Brazil and defeated Magnussen in British Formula 3 in 2011. He finished second at the prestigious Macau Grand Prix the same year and made his way to GP2 the following season, bringing significant Banco do Brasil funding with him. His first two seasons were winless before he secured four victories last year, perhaps not coincidentally the same season he got his first taste of Formula One as Williams' test driver. However he lacked the consistency to challenge Jolyon Palmer for the championship and dropped to third behind Stoffel Vandoorne at the season finale. Nasr strikes a good balance between speed and sponsorship; he is rough around the edges but brings vital funding that Sauber needs for its survival. Nasr admits his move to Sauber poses a risk but it is better than another year with sporadic test appearances for Williams.

Verdict: Nasr's talent is one of the reasons he can be so frustrating to watch. Undoubtedly quick, he has an uncanny ability for fading in races - which happened a little too often in GP2 - or for driving too conservatively at key points in races. His two-year wait for a GP2 victory should be something of a red flag as he was driving for top teams DAMS and Carlin, as should his failure to take the title fight to Palmer last year. But, all in all, the pace is there and he joins a team with a proud history of giving young drivers their first steps into Formula One. His hands will be tied slightly if Sauber cannot significantly improve on its 2014 challenger but he should out-perform Ericsson, who did little at Caterham to suggest he is in F1 for much more than his Swedish krona.

Nate is assistant editor of ESPNF1

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