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Meet the 2025 F1 Reserve Drivers: The Unsung Heroes Ready to Take the Wheel

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
March 11, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Hamilton Expresses Joy Over Ferrari Performance During F1 Pre-Season Testing

Formula One F1 - Pre Season Testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - February 26, 2025 Ferrari reserve driver Guanyu Zhou during testing REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

In the high-octane world of Formula 1, reserve drivers play a vital role, stepping up to the plate when the regular drivers cannot perform their duties for one reason or another. Ollie Bearman’s exemplary performances for Ferrari and Haas are a testament to this fact. In anticipation of the 2025 season, let’s take a closer look at the pool of reserve drivers who are ready to jump into action for their respective F1 teams. This rundown follows the 2024 championship order.

Let’s start with McLaren. The team will be counting on the skills of IndyCar standout Pato O’Ward, who has been honing his F1 skills through various tests and practice sessions since 2022. While his main focus will be his IndyCar campaign from March to August, McLaren could also rely on Mercedes’s reserve driver pool, which includes Valtteri Bottas, should they need a substitute for Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri.

Next up, Ferrari. Zhou Guanyu, who parted ways with Sauber after three seasons, and Antonio Giovinazzi, a former Sauber F1 driver now racing for Ferrari in the World Endurance Championship, will be Ferrari’s backup drivers. Additionally, Ferrari might consider moving Ollie Bearman up from Haas if a sudden replacement for Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton is required.

Moving on to Red Bull, they have chosen to retain Yuki Tsunoda as their reserve driver for 2025, despite bypassing him for promotion to the senior team. Tsunoda, who will be driving for Racing Bulls for the fifth consecutive season, had his first test run with Red Bull post-season in Abu Dhabi last year.

Mercedes, meanwhile, didn’t waste any time reuniting with Valtteri Bottas after it became evident he’d be without a racing seat for 2025. Bottas is the prime candidate to stand in for either George Russell or Kimi Antonelli if needed. However, Mercedes also has Frederik Vesti, runner-up in Formula 2 in 2023 and a popular figure within the team, as another reserve driver. If Bottas does make a return, he’ll start with a five-place grid penalty due to colliding with Kevin Magnussen’s Haas at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Over at Aston Martin, Felipe Drugovich, the 2022 Formula 2 champion, and former McLaren F1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne are waiting in the wings. Drugovich has been patiently biding his time at Aston Martin for the past four years, eager for his shot at F1.

Alpine’s reserve driver lineup is quite extensive, with Franco Colapinto, Paul Aron, Kush Maini, and Ryo Hirakawa. Colapinto, a late-2024 stand-in for Williams, is rumored to be a possible replacement for Jack Doohan during his rookie F1 season.

The Haas team has yet to announce an official reserve driver. They could potentially call upon Ferrari’s Giovinazzi, or Toyota-contracted drivers like Hirakawa, who had previously driven for Haas in the Abu Dhabi test. Kevin Magnussen, despite losing his racing seat with Haas, will continue to test with the team in 2025 while also returning to sportscars with BMW.

Red Bull’s second team, Racing Bulls, hasn’t confirmed their reserve driver yet. Ayumu Iwasa, who tested with the team in Abu Dhabi, and 17-year-old Arvid Lindblad, set to make his Formula 2 debut in 2025, are potential candidates.

Lastly, Williams and Sauber have yet to declare their reserve drivers for the 2025 season. Theoretically, Williams could turn to Mercedes’ reserve drivers if needed, while Sauber is yet to name a successor after parting ways with previous third driver Theo Pourchaire at the end of 2024.

As we gear up for the 2025 F1 season, these reserve drivers hold the potential to turn the tides for their teams, ready to leap into action at a moment’s notice.

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