Sergio Perez return represents huge F1 failure

Be fast. Don’t crash. Score points.

F1’s rookies have all struggled to meet these requirements in 2025, with Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar, Ollie Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto and Liam Lawson all making serious errors in their first full season in the sport.

At the British Grand Prix, none of these drivers scored a single point and Bearman was the only youngster to see the chequered flag at Silverstone unscathed.

Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg achieved his first F1 podium at the age of 37-years-old, as experience benefitted the drivers in the wet conditions at Silverstone.

Two new seats will be made available in 2026 with the arrival of Cadillac on the grid, but instead of being tempted by F2’s rising stars, two familiar names have been attached to the seat - Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.

Both were axed from F1 at the end of 2024, but as the sport's rookies fail to score consistent points this season, Perez and Bottas' experience is increasingly attractive for teams who crave stability within their lineup.

Are F1 drivers too young and inexperienced?

Alpine's second seat has been one of the most unstable in 2025, after they axed rookie driver Jack Doohan after only six rounds.

However, the Australian’s replacement has not managed to achieve much more at the team, with Colapinto also unable to score points for Alpine or manage to keep his car out of the barriers.

Granted, other rookies have fared better in 2025, with the likes of Antonelli and Hadjar lauded for their ability to perform consistently under pressure, and the Mercedes youngster has already secured his first F1 podium.

Nevertheless, the pair have not been immune to mistakes and have both been involved in costly crashes in 2025, with Antonelli failing to finish both the Austrian and British grands prix.

Despite Antonelli's obvious talent, Mercedes' interest in Max Verstappen signals that the team may have promoted their rookie driver too soon.

Also, if the champion were to sign with the team, where does this leave Antonelli? What would have been the point of promoting him so early, to just replace him with a more experienced driver anyway?

Young talent deserves a chance to shine on the F1 grid, but not every 18-year-old is or can be the next Verstappen. In fact, an early promotion in their career seems to do more harm than good in some regards - just look at Red Bull's second driver saga!

Before stepping up to F1, perhaps the F2 drivers that do not immediately excel should test their abilities in other racing categories and build further experience in a competitive championship, against experienced racing drivers.

After a few years of racing, some rookies may be less prone to errors when they reach F1 and cause less of a headache for teams.

It is also concerning that teams only look to F2 for their driver lineups. If they want to score consistent points maybe they should consider more experienced drivers in Formula E, IndyCar or the World Endurance Championship.

In the hope of finding the next Verstappen, F1 teams are taking extraordinary risks with rookies who more often than not are unable to score points and are involved in costly crashes.

The point of Verstappen is that he is a unique talent! Verstappen’s successor is not going to be in every feeder series championship, and teams should stop assuming that.

Perez and Bottas' potential return to F1 signifies that stability still matters to teams, and that their confidence in youth is not always rewarded.

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