F1’s exclusive grid starts with a long apprenticeship

Formula One teams increasingly rely on driver academies and development programs to identify and prepare the next generation of racers. With only 20 seats normally available, these systems create a talent pipeline that can begin in karting and extend through Formula 2, Formula 3 and other professional series.

All six drivers joining the 2025 grid for their first full season had been part of an F1 team’s development structure. The programs are not simply sponsorship arrangements. They offer access to expertise, training and departments that would otherwise be difficult for a young driver to reach.

What the programs provide

Support can include financial backing, physical conditioning, tailored nutrition, mental coaching, media training, simulator sessions, engineering briefings and testing in previous Formula One cars. Ferrari’s academy, for example, uses biofeedback, neurofeedback, cognitive training and multidimensional assessment to prepare drivers away from the circuit.

McLaren business operations director Stephanie Carlin described its program as “a training program to take drivers who are at various points of their career” and help them achieve their potential while learning the standards expected in professional motorsport. Williams sporting director Sven Smeets said the team now has a full sports-science program for every driver.

Simulator work helps drivers understand F1 cars and the language of engineering, even though it cannot reproduce every physical demand, including real race forces. Jak Crawford said Aston Martin’s simulator sessions and engineering meetings helped him apply lessons from the F1 environment to his Formula 2 career.

Scouting begins before single-seaters

Teams search beyond the established junior categories, with karting a crucial part of the process. Around age 13 is an important monitoring point because many drivers are preparing to move from karting into single-seaters. However, success in karts does not automatically translate to cars, and teams often use Formula 4 testing as the first clearer comparison of how a driver adapts.

Scouts assess more than championship results. Natural speed, work ethic, technical understanding, learning ability and the way a driver operates inside a team all matter. Financial limitations and unequal access to competitive equipment can also obscure a driver’s potential, meaning a lack of titles is not necessarily disqualifying.

“There’s not just one way of doing it,” Carlin said. “There’s not one kind of driver that we want.” Williams also considers the wider family situation, sometimes asking overseas prospects to relocate to Europe or the United Kingdom to complete a full karting program.

Preparation goes beyond driving

Development teams monitor performance over time through race reports, engineer feedback and direct contact with drivers. They look for patterns in qualifying and race pace, identify weaknesses and then tailor coaching to the individual.

Testing previous-generation cars offers another step toward F1. Crawford drove Aston Martin’s 2022 car for more than 400 kilometres, while Kimi Antonelli and Jack Doohan completed extensive testing programs for Mercedes and Alpine before reaching the 2025 grid.

The final objective is not merely to make a driver faster. It is to teach them how to communicate with engineers, handle pressure, understand a team’s responsibilities and function in the highly technical environment of Formula One. As Carlin put it, each driver arrives with a different amount of “water” in the glass; the academy’s job is to identify what is missing and bring the driver closer to a complete professional.