There are 20 drivers on the current Formula 1 grid, and some of them have been at the top of the sport for a very long time.
Some drivers even return to the cockpit of F1 machinery after time away because they’re seen as a better option than giving a newcomer an opportunity.
But that’s not to say that teams aren’t scouting the next generation. There are no fewer than 48 candidates across the junior programmes of the F1 operations – some of whom weren’t even born when Lewis Hamilton made his F1 debut, let alone Fernando Alonso!
Some of these ‘academies’ are more extensive in their training and budgetary support and more effective than others, but at least it shows that the F1 elite are keeping the door ajar for those who are good enough – and helping them on their way.
So who are the crop of youngsters under the wings of the F1 teams, and where are they racing?
Source: Autosport