When did each current F1 driver make their debut?

F1 will usher in a youthful new era in 2025 when a slew of drivers embark on their rookie seasons in the championship.

With experienced heads such as Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen missing out on seats, the six new drivers mean 30 per cent of the grid is different from a year ago - although three of them have already started at least one grand prix in F1.

In contrast, it is 24 years to the day [March 4] since F1's oldest driver, Fernando Alonso, made his debut.

And remarkably, only three of the 20 drivers on this list made - or will make - their debuts outside Australia or a Middle-Eastern nation.

Full list below.

Fernando Alonso - 2001 Australian Grand Prix

The enduring Spaniard made his F1 debut for Minardi, the modern-day Racing Bulls team, finishing two laps adrift of race winner Michael Schumacher in P12.

Kimi Raikkonen, also making his debut, scored a point for Sauber in sixth.

Lewis Hamilton - 2007 Australian Grand Prix

Seven-time F1 drivers' champion Hamilton made his debut for McLaren, impressing immediately with a brave overtake on team-mate Alonso around the outside of Turn 1.

Although the British driver would secure a podium with third, he would ultimately finish behind the two-time reigning title holder. The race was won by the aforementioned Raikkonen. 

Nico Hulkenberg - 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix

Before the German grew to become the most experienced driver in F1 history without a podium finish, he was cutting his teeth at Williams.

The 37-year-old started his debut in P13 in Bahrain, finishing one lap down on race winner Alonso in P14. Hamilton also ended the afternoon on the rostrum.

Max Verstappen - 2015 Australian Grand Prix

It is 10 years since the Dutchman started his debut grand prix. Whilst he has gone on to smash records in F1 en route to four drivers' championships and counting, his first steps in the paddock were considerably more modest.

After qualifying P12 and starting one place higher due to Bottas tearing a disc in his back during the grid-setting session, his race was run by lap 32 when he retired with a power unit issue. Hamilton took the victory.

Carlos Sainz - 2015 Australian Grand Prix

Like his Toro Rosso team-mate, the 30-year-old also made his F1 debut nearly 10 years ago, in a race ultimately won by Hamilton.

Although Max Verstappen has enjoyed a better career, Sainz had the initial upper hand in the Red Bull junior team. After qualifying eighth - and starting seventh - the Spaniard came home in ninth to score two points in his maiden F1 voyage.

Esteban Ocon - 2016 Belgian Grand Prix

The Frenchman is the first driver on this list to make his F1 debut mid-season - and also in a European country.

Coming in to replace Rio Haryanto at Manor, the one-time grand prix winner qualified P18 and finished one place higher, where he started the race, albeit one lap down on race winner Nico Rosberg. Hamilton was again on the podium, in third.

Lance Stroll - 2017 Australian Grand Prix

Before the Canadian drove for his father at Racing Point, now Aston Martin, he competed for Williams, where he made his F1 debut.

It would prove a disappointing first weekend in F1 for the 26-year-old. He started last after a gearbox change and retired on lap 40 with brake issues. Sebastian Vettel came out on top for Ferrari, with Hamilton scoring another podium in second.

Pierre Gasly - 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix

Like compatriot and foe Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly made his F1 debut mid-season, hopping into the Toro Rosso in place of Daniil Kvyat.

It was a solid if unspectacular first weekend in the championship for the one-time grand prix winner. He reached Q2 and qualified within two-tenths of team-mate Sainz. He finished the race P14 and one lap down. Hamilton continued his podium streak on this list with another second place.

Charles Leclerc - 2018 Australian Grand Prix

The popular Ferrari driver spent his first season in F1 with Sauber, before switching places with Raikkonen and joining the Scuderia for 2019.

Like many of his peers, he performed well on debut. He qualified within a tenth of a second of team-mate Marcus Ericsson in P18 and moved forward in the grand prix itself, finishing P13 and on the lead lap. Hamilton's podium run also continued.

George Russell - 2019 Australian Grand Prix

The first of three current F1 drivers to debut in Melbourne in 2019, the now-Mercedes racer was in the weakest package of the trio.

Easily out-performing Williams colleague Robert Kubica, who remarkably returned to F1 years after a horrific rally injury, Russell was 1.7 seconds faster as the pair occupied the back row of the grid. He would finish a lap ahead of the Polish driver, albeit two laps down in the race in P16.

Unsurprisingly, Hamilton racked up another podium finish, following home Bottas for a Mercedes one-two.

Lando Norris - 2019 Australian Grand Prix

The British driver has only ever known McLaren in F1 but the team he joined in 2019 is very different to the one he races for today.

Impressively, Norris got his McLaren-Renault (yep!) into the top 10 in qualifying, whilst team-mate Sainz was knocked out in Q1. That, however, could not prevent him slipping back from eighth to P12 in the race.

Alex Albon - 2019 Australian Grand Prix

After getting the last minute call-up to race for Toro Rosso, the now-Williams driver gave up his Formula E drive - and it has paid off, despite some difficulties along the way.

The Thai-British racer immediately left his mark on team-mate Kvyat, out-qualifying him as both reached Q2. The Russian got the better of him during the race, though, scything through the field to pick up a point whilst Albon fell back one spot to P14.

Yuki Tsunoda - 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix

Whilst perhaps unlucky to still be at the team now known as Racing Bulls, the Japanese driver put together a solid debut race four years ago in Bahrain.

After qualifying P13, he snuck into the points with ninth. However, team-mate Gasly lined up fifth before retiring in the opening laps.

Hamilton won from Verstappen in a race known for the Briton breaking the (unenforced) track limits at Turn 4 29 times in the opening 38 laps.

Oscar Piastri - 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix

Two years after Tsunoda's debut and a considerably more miserable affair for the Australian. McLaren had a terrible start to the 2023 season.

Having made the surprise switch from the Alpine academy to a race seat with the Woking squad, the 23-year-old qualified P18 and retired with an electrical issue after just 13 laps. Hamilton's podium streak on 2025 F1 drivers' debuts ends here as he finished fifth.

Liam Lawson - 2023 Dutch Grand Prix

Stepping in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo at Zandvoort, the New Zealander had to get up to speed quickly with only the final free practice session to prepare and tricky conditions over the weekend.

He qualified last, over 1.5 seconds off making it out of Q1, but fared considerably better during the race, finishing a respectable P13.

Oliver Bearman - 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Like Liam Lawson, the 19-year-old was a late replacement, stepping in for Sainz at Ferrari having already secured pole for the F2 feature race, which he subsequently forfeited.

Bearman immediately impressed the paddock, qualifying just outside the top 10 after just one practice session in Jeddah. Things got even better during the grand prix, with the Briton coming home in seventh to score six points.

Jack Doohan - 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

After Ocon's surprise early exit from Alpine, in order to join Haas for post-season testing, the Australian stepped in alongside Gasly one round early.

It was, unfortunately for the 22-year-old, a quiet weekend. He qualified last but started P17, moving up to P15 in the season-ending race.

Kimi Antonelli - 2025 Australian Grand Prix

The highly-touted Italian is one of three true rookies (yet to debut) to get their maiden F1 outing at the upcoming Australian Grand Prix.

Gabriel Bortoleto - 2025 Australian Grand Prix

The F2 champion will also start his first grand prix, for Stake, in the season-opening round at Albert Park.

Isack Hadjar - 2025 Australian Grand Prix

Like Antonelli and Bortoleto, the Racing Bulls driver will make his first start in F1 at the 2025 curtain-raising round in Melbourne.