Portrait of the 2014 F1 Rookies

While the season has just begun, launched by the winter tests in Jerez de la Frontera – which you can find the review of the editorial review – Motorsinside.com offers you a small presentation of the drivers who will be taking part in a Formula 1 race for the first time on March 16th in Melbourne.

These beginners, called “rookies” across the Atlantic, number three this season and have experienced different paths. So, let’s look back at the career beginnings of Kevin Magnussen (McLaren), Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso), and Marcus Ericsson (Caterham).

NAME AND FIRST NAME : Kevin Magnussen

DATE OF BIRTH : 5 October 1992 in Roskilde, Denmark

PROVENANCE STABLE: DAMS (French team)

BEST RANKING: 1st in Formula Ford (2008) and in World Series by Renault 3.5 (2013)

In the Magnussen family, I call upon the father, Jan, who was a test driver for McLaren (he also races his first F1 Grand Prix for the British team, in the Pacific, replacing Mika Häkkinen, operated on for appendicitis) and then became a main driver at Stewart in the late 1990s. Today, Kevin Magnussen, the son, a Formula Renault 3.5 champion, will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders. Lewis Hamilton was the last driver trained by the Woking team to become a main driver, in 2007. One season later, he was the world champion.

The Dane began his career in karting, then moved to single-seaters, winning the Formula Ford championship in Denmark in 2008. From 2009 to 2012, he progressed through various categories: in 2009, he notably finished second in the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC championship, behind a certain Antonio Felix da Costa. This was followed by two seasons in Formula 3, the first in the German championship, where he placed 3rd in 2010, then the second in the renowned British championship, which he finished 2nd, behind Felipe Nasr, in 2011.

In 2012, as he completed his first season in Formula Renault 3.5, he was invited by McLaren to participate in the young drivers’ tests in Abu Dhabi. He managed to set the fastest time in the tests, catching the attention of Sam Michael, the sporting director of the English firm. During this test, he also obtained his Super License, an essential requirement to compete in the premier discipline.

All he needs now is a prestigious title to climb the last step. The 2013 season allowed him to become the FR 3.5 champion, to everyone’s surprise, as he was rather the outsider behind Antonio Felix Da Costa and Stoffel Vandoorne, within the DAMS team.

His prospects are numerous for /f1/actualite/16910-essais-jerez-le-bilan-des-quatre-journees.html. First of all, he must convince, despite his youth, that he deserves his place for 2015 with the return of Honda. Sergio Pérez, last year, paid the price of a lackluster season without being able to fully express his potential at the wheel of a car that was itself not very competitive. Above all, the Dane will have to position himself in relation to his illustrious teammate, Jenson Button, who is considered a reference, behind the wheel of a car that McLaren promises to be ambitious and designed to return to the highest level.

NAME AND SURNAME: Daniil Kvyat

DATE OF BIRTH: April 26, 1994, in Ufa, Russia

ORIGIN STABLE: MW Arden (German team)

BEST RANKING: 1st Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS (2012) and in GP3 (2013)

Daniil Kvyat first made a name for himself in karting before becoming a Formula BMW driver in 2010, where he finished the European Championship in tenth place. In 2011, he moved to Formula Renault 2.0 and, like Kevin Magnussen, finished second in the Northern European Cup, behind a certain Carlos Sainz Jr. That same year, he finished third in the FR 2.0 Eurocup standings.

It was in 2012 and 2013 that Kvyat was crowned in two championships: first in the Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS (resulting from the merger between the Italian and Swiss championships) and then in the GP3 series. While most drivers pursue their careers in the supposed talent-feeding championships for F1 – GP2 and FR 3.5 – Daniil Kvyat was chosen, to everyone’s surprise, by the Red Bull management to join Toro Rosso. Yet, there was no shortage of drivers to succeed Daniel Ricciardo, among them the Portuguese Antonio Felix da Costa and Carlos Sainz Jr.

“The value does not wait for the number of years” is a saying that perfectly applies to Kvyat, who managed to prove himself at the right time to convince Helmut Marko to give him his chance, despite his youth. At 19, Kvyat will be the youngest on the grid of starting drivers. According to Marko, if he integrates well in the first ten Grand Prix, he will be able to compete with his teammate Jean-Eric Vergne.

NAME AND SURNAME: Marcus Ericsson

DATE OF BIRTH: 2 September 1990 in Kumla, Sweden

**ORIGIN STABLE**: DAMS (French team)

BEST RANKING: 1st Formula BMW UK (2007) and Japanese Formula 3 (2009)

Marcus Ericsson has had a tumultuous career in sports. In 2007, he won the British Formula BMW championship. He then moved on to F3, but did not manage to do better than 5th place in the final standings of the British championship. The following season, in 2009, he focused on the Japanese F3 championship and succeeded in clinching the title.

Starting in 2010, he competes in GP2. The presumed stepping stone to F1 seems to be a good platform for the Swede, but he struggles to confirm his potential. He finishes 17th in his first season (1 win), then gradually moves up the ranks: 10th in 2011, 8th in 2012 (1 win), and 6th in 2013 (1 win). The 23-year-old driver will have a lot to prove for his appointment at Caterham, facing a regular in the premier discipline, Kamui Kobayashi. Supported by several companies, Ericsson has proven to be a good choice for a team in need of funds.

Despite everything, the Swede experienced the joys of Formula 1 in 2009 during tests with Brawn GP, during which he was complimented by a certain Ross Brawn: “He drove very well, showing exceptional maturity in his approach to driving,” said the Briton. Will this allow him to make a name for himself and climb the ranks of the premier discipline? Only time will tell.