Poll: Which F1 rookie will lose their seat first?

For the first time in a decade, F1 will see at least five rookies starting the season, with 30 percent of the grid embarking on their first full season in the so-called pinnacle of motorsport.

At six drivers, the class of 2025 goes one further than the handful that began the year in 2015. Whilst only three of them have yet to start a grand prix, even Liam Lawson is considered a rookie, having only raced in partial campaigns up to this point.

With Oliver Bearman having deputised at Ferrari and Haas on three occasions last term and Jack Doohan replacing Esteban Ocon at Alpine for the final round, only Gabriel Bortoleto, Isack Hadjar and Kimi Antonelli are without some form of reference point heading into the year.

However, as Nyck de Vries and Logan Sargeant will attest, it is not easy to establish yourself in F1. Both of those drivers were gone within two seasons of their debut, with the former lasting just 10 rounds at AlphaTauri, despite scoring points in his first grand prix, for Williams, the year prior.

Of the most recent rookie class, in 2023, only Oscar Piastri remains, showing how difficult it will be for the latest cohort to get a foothold in F1.

If recent trends continue, by the end of the 2026 F1 season, four of the six rookies next season will have lost their drive, but who will be first?

There have already been rumours that Doohan is under considerable pressure to perform immediately at Alpine, with Franco Colapinto on the sidelines and looking for his next opportunity.

Meanwhile, Lawson is almost certain to be demoted back to Racing Bulls, as opposed to being let go altogether, if he fails to make the grade at Red Bull. Nevertheless, the New Zealander will be in a pressure cooker in Milton Keynes.

Let us know who you think it will be by commenting and by voting below in the latest poll by RacingNews365.