All 10 teams on the Formula 1 grid field two drivers in every single race.
But they aren’t the only two drivers employed by the team. Each team, per the rules, has at least one reserve driver. In addition to simulation work and PR events, reserve drivers stand by as a ready option in case of any emergency befalling one of the team’s regular drivers.
In addition to the normal reserve driver, teams must also field a driver with at least 30 FIA Super License points and one or no starts in F1 in two race weekend practice sessions, one in each given car.
All but two teams have a given junior or academy team, with both teams having strong connections to or sharing the junior team with other teams on the grid.
Finally, F1 requires each team to, at least, sponsor a driver in F1 Academy, the all-female feeder support series in its second season. Most teams push these drivers directly in their junior program, while Red Bull decidedly does not feature them as official junior drivers with the full resources afforded to them.
Let’s take a look now at each team’s reserves. Note that for junior teams, I’m only going to list either given reserve drivers or drivers in F2, F3, or F1A. Most teams have a large Formula Regional, F4, and/or karting lineups.
I stuck with the rule of thumb of sticking to drivers in the series covered on Formula Frontstrech, Frontstretch.com’s first Bluesky account, and the new home for our Formula 1 social content.
Alpine
Alpine’s chief reserve driver is Jack Doohan, the son of legendary motorcycle rider Mick Doohan. The younger Doohan has decided to force a path on four wheels, as the Australian’s only job is to support Alpine after finishing third in F2 last season.
Victor Martins and 2023 F3 champion Kush Maini represent the Alpine Academy in the 2024 F2 competition. Maini scored the first F2 pole of the season in Bahrain before his time was disallowed due to a ride height infringement. Both drivers must prove themselves on a very loaded F2 grid this season.
Gabriele Mini followed up his seventh place in F3 last season, with another year in the third tier. Alpine will also be represented on the grid by former F4 Spanish champion Nikola Tsolov and Sophia Florsch.
The team’s representative in F1A is Abbi Pulling, a 20-year-old Brit who finished fifth in points in the first season of F1A.
Aston Martin
Something you’ll learn going through junior programs is that not…
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