Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner believes Oscar Piastri’s stellar maiden season in Formula 1 has transformed the mindset towards fielding rookie drivers.
Williams’ confirmation that Logan Sargeant will retain his place ensured that the F1 grid will remain unchanged next season for the first time in the sport’s entire 73-year history.
It meant that Theo Pourchaire has become the third Formula 2 champion in succession to be overlooked for a promotion, leaving him restricted to a reserve role with Sauber.
But with 12 drivers out of contract at the end of 2024, Steiner has predicted that there could be much upheaval in the driver market throughout the entirety of the upcoming year.
Steiner is convinced that the potential for widespread changes up and down the paddock for 2025 could open up more opportunities for young drivers in the series.
“I think there’s a lot of potential at the end of 2024, focusing on ’25, I think there’s a big opportunity for young drivers to come in,” Steiner told Sky Sports F1.
“Because some of them, the drivers who are there now or will be at the end of ’24, maybe stop doing it.
“Some of them will have not performed, nobody will pick them up. Some, I see a better opportunity in taking a risk with a young driver than keeping somebody who didn’t perform.”
Haas previously fronted an all-rookie line-up of Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher in 2021 amid the expectation it would struggle with an underdeveloped package that year.
However, Mazepin was ousted when Russia invaded Ukraine on the eve of the 2022 season, while Schumacher was dropped following a tough sophomore campaign.
Haas has since reverted to an experienced pairing of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, who both penned one-year extensions to remain with the side for 2024.
But Steiner admits that Piastri, who recorded two podiums and a Sprint victory in his debut season with McLaren, has demonstrated that newcomers can hit the ground running in F1.
“Everybody was scared about rookies. [Piastri] came in and was good straight away,” Steiner acknowledged.
“We now see these things and say ‘OK, it worked with Piastri – why would it not work with somebody else? You have some history there now.’
“So it could be that, in ’25 with no changes for ’24, all of a sudden we have got three, four, or five new guys… I think that could happen.”
The FIA introduced a new rule ahead of last season stipulating that teams must give two practice sessions per season to a driver yet to compete in more than two grands prix.
Haas fulfilled that obligation by fielding Ferrari prospect Oliver Bearman, who was regarded as “very impressive” by Director of Engineering Ayao Komatsu in Mexico.
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