Kimi Antonelli A Rookie On The Move After Two Races With Mercedes

Since the middle of last season, McLaren have hit the reset button and nobody has figured out how to stop them in their tracks. They seem well on their way to defending their Constructors' Championship and are hot favourites to win their first Drivers' Championship since Lewis Hamilton's triumph in 2008.

Outside of that battle, there has been a fierce contest among the newcomers, with as many as six rookies lining up to make their mark in their first full F1 season. Some have impressed, while others have shown why they are still developing.

Here, we take a look at how they have fared so far.

At 18, Antonelli is the youngest rookie this season and has been the most impressive, having collected 22 points from the first two races. It is not just the points tally but also his maturity and decisiveness in two tough opening races that have demonstrated why the Italian is highly rated by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff as one of the brightest prospects for the future.

What was expected to be a promising season for the New Zealand driver in a highly coveted Red Bull seat quickly took a downturn after a crash in Australia during the opening weekend and a disappointing performance in China. This opened the door for the more experienced Yuki Tsunoda to step in and take over, with the 22-year-old now set to return to the Racing Bulls team.