Lewis Hamilton issues stern advice for F1 2025 rookie class

The F1 2025 season opener in Australia will have three drivers making their debuts in the sport, with Alpine fielding Jack Doohan, Mercedes with Kimi Antonelli, and Sauber signing Brazilian driver Gabriel Bartoleto.

Also joining in a full-time role will be Haas’ new signing Oliver Bearman, with the British driver having made his debut this year as a substitute at Ferrari and Haas, while the identity of VCARB’s second driver isn’t yet confirmed – the most likely names, Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto, are also rookies with only a handful of races under their belts.

With around a quarter of the field set to be very inexperienced when lights go out to start the new season, it’s a very different scenario from F1 2024 as the entire grid driver line-up remained the same as last season.

As one of F1’s elder statesmen, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was asked for his thoughts on the advice he’d offer to the incoming drivers, with the Brit taking his time to ponder the question.

“I don’t know. Don’t do absolutely everything everyone tells you to do,” he said.

“Ask lots of questions. Take your time. Don’t let the negativity get to you because, you know, people are so negative nowadays judging you non-stop.

“So stay off social media and keep your family and your closest friends close to you because they are the only ones that are your true friends and they’re going to be there for you when the going gets tough.”

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With Hamilton making a point of emphasising drivers should learn to let the negativity wash over them, he was asked whether he felt he’s been singled out for criticism this season as he has struggled for form alongside George Russell.

“It’s not about this year,” he denied.

“We’re talking about youngsters. We’re talking about 18-year-olds. And I remember when I was 22 and you’re thrown in a deep end. You’ve been given training as a young driver through the younger series, but most of them probably don’t have a PR person.

“The team will have a PR person, but they’re not looking out for you. They’re looking out for the team. And so you’re thrown in the deep end and you’re trying to be nice and people take advantage of you.

“And so my guidance, like if I had a young driver and I was looking after him, I would put a lot of support around him so that people can’t get to him. And the socials and media and stuff would not be able to affect that young individual’s mindset.

“I think that protecting that is really important. Because then I think it’s really about giving people, firstly, them getting the opportunity and not knocking them down when they make mistakes.

“Which one of you, or anyone here – 18 years old, 19 years old – has not made mistakes? And it’s just that when you do it in the spotlight, it’s really, really, really tough.

“And so we should be lifting these people up and giving them not just one chance, two chances, just continue to support them and just not slating them because that’s just not nice.”

Hamilton is himself lined up for a major career change in 2025, as he leaves Mercedes after more than a decade and winning six world titles with the Brackley-based squad. He will join Ferrari, where he becomes teammates with Charles Leclerc.

His departure opened the door for one of the season’s rookies, Kimi Antonelli, to secure his race seat to become Hamilton’s Mercedes successor.