Are you struggling to find ‘the next big thing’ in your F1 Manager 2024 playthrough? Do you want to chuck old man Alonso in the bin in favour of a young, up-and-comer?
If so, check out our list below of the finest young drivers you can sign in Frontier Developments’ F1 Manager 2024, a game we consider to be the best in the series.
We’ve selected drivers 20 years old and under and listed them in descending order depending on how attractive a prospect they are. Get ready to negotiate!
1) Andrea Kimi Antonelli – 71
It seems obvious to put the young Italian as our top young driver pick in F1 Manager 2024, but this season has been a mixed bag for the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship champion.
His Prema team in Formula 2 has struggled to match the pace at the head of the field, but despite this, it’s thought that Antonelli will take the Mercedes F1 seat vacated by Lewis Hamilton next season.
Strong F2 performances at Silverstone and the Hunagroring, where Antonelli picked up victories in successive weekends, prove his talent, and at only 18 years old he has a lot of potential – in-game and in the real world.
2) Oliver Bearman – 74
Antonelli’s Prema team-mate in F2 has also endured a tough time this season, but his one-off F1 outing for Ferrari in place of the hospitalised Carlos Sainz showed that Oliver Bearman has the talent to compete at the front of the F1 field.
Bearman finished seventh on his F1 debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, showing a level of maturity belying his 18 years (at the time). Considering his lack of preparation, it was a fantastic result, one his mediocre F2 season – barring a win at the Red Bull Ring – has failed to take the shine off of.
It was a close-run thing between Bearman and Antonelli for top spot on this list, but we felt Antonelli’s age (he’s one year younger than Bearman in F1 Manager 2024) gives him the edge despite the Brit having a higher overall rating (74 versus 71).
3) Jak Crawford – 72
Jak Crawford has had a less stellar start to his career than both Bearman and Antonelli, but the 18-year-old American has enjoyed a much more consistent F2 campaign this season, picking up three podiums – including a win in Spain.
He now sits sixth in the overall standings and has a place on the Aston Martin Driver Development Programme, so if Fernando Alonso ever decides to retire he’ll be in a prime position to take over (if he can oust Felipe Drugovich, that is).
4) Pepe Martí – 72
Josep María “Pepe” Martí Sobrepera, like Crawford, is 18 years old and rated 72. The Spaniard finished fifth in Formula 3 in 2023 and has already picked up three podiums in his debut F2 season, marking him out as one for the future.
Being part of the Red Bull Junior Team could well count against him with his future career plans but there’s high hopes he’ll be the next Spanish F1 superstar after Alonso and Sainz. He certainly has a ton of potential in F1 Manager 2024.
5) Theo Pourchaire – 79
The oldest driver on this list at 20, Pourchaire is fast becoming the finished article in driving terms. The reigning F2 champion was criminally overlooked for an F1 drive in 2024 and has already notched up F3, ADAC Formula 4 and French F4 championship wins.
This year, the Frenchman is trying his hand at IndyCar and enjoyed an impressive early set of results before being dumped unceremoniously by Arrow McLaren. Naturally unhappy, Pourchaire was quoted to be ‘disgusted’ by the decision but stated his comments were misquoted.
It was lucky he did, as McLaren drafted him in to replace the injured Alexander Rossi at Toronto over the weekend. At 79, Pourchaire is one of the highest-rated young drivers around in F1 Manager 2024 but still has a lot of years ahead of him to improve further.
6) Isak Hadjar – 73
The French–Algerian Isak Hadjar is another Red Bull Junior Team member with a bright future and currently leads the F2 standings driving for Campos Racing.
Hadjar has picked up three wins and a further three podiums in his sophomore year and at 19 years old with an in-game rating of 73 has a high ceiling for improvement.
7) Paul Aron – 73
It’s been a breakout year for Paul Aron, the 19-year-old (in-game) Estonian having stood on the F2 podium seven times already for Hitech Pulse-Eight.
Aron has been on the books of Mercedes since 2019, with a best championship finish of third in the 2023 F3 series underlining his potential.
Aron is the same age and rating as Hadjar in-game, so each represents an equally capable long-term option for your F1 Manager 2024 team.
What do you think of our selection of the best young drivers in F1 Manager 2024? Are there any we’ve missed that you think deserve a mention? Let us know in the comments below.
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