Meet the Four Stars of Formula 1 Taking the World by Storm

Are you ready to learn about 4 of the current stars of the F1 grid? This article will take a look into 4 of the current drivers who are making waves in the sport, and dive into how they secured their seats. 

(Image credit to Formula 2)

Isack Hadjar 

Isack Hadjar is a 21-year-old French F1 driver who will begin the 2026 season in a new seat with Oracle Red Bull Racing. He started karting in 2012 at the age of eight. In 2019, at just 14 years old, Isack made his single-seater debut in the French Formula 4 Championship, winning at Spa-Francorchamps and finishing seventh in the standings. In 2020, he returned to the series, finishing third in the championship. Throughout 2021, Hadjar competed in both the Formula 3 Asian Championship and Formula Regional European Championship. He finished sixth in the Formula 3 Asian series with Evans GP, while simultaneously racing in the Formula Regional European Championship with R-ace GP, impressing in Monaco by winning the race in his first visit to the principality. In 2022, the Frenchman stepped up to FIA Formula 3 with Hitech Grand Prix and stepped up again to Formula 2 the following year. The 2024 season marked a pivotal year in his career as he joined Campos Racing for his second season in F2. He picked up podiums in Monaco, Belgium, Silverstone, and Qatar; these acting as standout moments which ultimately solidified his place as one of the grid’s most promising drivers. 

In 2023, he made his FP1 debut in Mexico City during the Mexico Grand Prix with Scuderia AlphaTauri. Later on, in 2024, he was promoted to reserve driver for both Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, and in December of that year, he secured himself a full-time Formula 1 seat with the team, where he partnered with Yuki Tsunoda. 

Kimi Antonelli 

Kimi Antonelli is a 19-year-old Italian F1 driver who drives for Mercedes. He started his journey in karting early, already earning awards at a young age. He also won many Karting Championships and established himself as a top talent. Kimi made an impact in F4, winning both the Italian and the German F4 Championship in 2022.

As a result of Kimi's outstanding performance, he was fast-tracked into Formula 2. He had also previously competed in FRECA in both 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he entered F2 with PREMA Racing - one of the most successful teams in the series. Antonelli is no doubt a rising star in the world of motorsports, with many people already saying that is a future World Drivers’ Champion. 

Ollie Bearman 

Ollie Bearman is a 20-year-old British Haas F1 driver. Ollie started karting at the age of six back in 2011. He competed in the Super 1 National Championships, finishing second in both 2016 and 2017. He also competed in the Kartmaster series, winning the Kartmaster British Grand Prix in 2018. Between 2019 and 2020, Ollie won multiple different international karting titles including the IAME Winter Cup, the IAME EuroSeries, and the IAME International Final, competing in both the Junior and Senior categories. 

During the Covid-19 period in 2020, Ollie entered the ADAC (Germany) Formula 4 and Italian Formula 4 Championships with US Racing. He picked up multiple podiums and a win, finishing 7th overall in ADAC and took home one win and finished in 10th overall in Italian Formula 4. He then returned to both championships in 2021 with Van Amersfoort Racing, winning the title with an overall total of seventeen wins across both series. His incredible performances and raw talent turned heads, and he was offered a spot in the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy. 

Following a successful second year in Formula 4, Bearman stepped up to FIA Formula 3 in 2022, finishing third in his rookie season with Prema Racing. He earned a swift promotion to Formula 2 for the 2023 season, cementing his place in the Ferrari Driver Academy. 2023 was a solid rookie season for the British driver as he finished 6th in the standings, with outstanding feature race wins in Spain and Spa. Bearman’s second season in F2 was a pivotal year, marked by a victory and a strong performance, alongside his super-sub appearances for both Ferrari and Haas in Formula 1. 

In his F1 stint, he took home 7th place in Saudi Arabia driving for Ferrari, filling in for Carlos Sainz. He then picked up a P10 finish in Baku and P12 in Brazil, replacing Kevin Magnussen for both weekends. His impressive track record across multiple junior series and his ability to jump into an F1 car and achieve great results saw him secure a Formula 1 seat with Haas for 2025.  

Gabriel Bortoleto 

Gabriel Bortoleto is a 20-year-old Brazilian driver for Audi F1 team. Gabriel started karting at the age of eight. He dominated in Brazil before moving to Europe, achieving significant international results such as 3rd in the 2019 CIK-FIA World championship, the European Championship in OK Junior, and finishing Vice-champion in the WSK Super Master Series. He made the switch to single-seater racing in 2020. 

Bortoleto’s talent was clear; he was rapidly quick, his rise meteoric as he came up through the ranks. He raced in Italian F4 in 2020, took part in Formula Regional in 2021 and 2022 before securing the FIA Formula 3 Championship with Trident in 2023. He secured the F2 title a year later, before earning himself a seat in Formula 1 with Sauber F1 team in 2025. With Sauber now rebranding to Audi for the 2026 season and beyond, Bortoleto has the opportunity to show off his skills once again. And if his previous results are anything to go by, he has a long and successful career ahead of him.

Article written by Alexandria K-E and Elsie N ©️ 2026