F1 teams have been told to place their faith in you𝓀ng drivers for full-time race seats, as Andrea Kimi Antonelli waits in the wings for the Mercedes spot.

Antonelli,ꦚ aged 17, is on the list to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025 but is currently two r🔥aces into his rookie campaign in Formula 2.

But th♏e success of Oliver Bearman with Ferrari at the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and Liam Lawson’s impressive stint l♔ast year, has demonstrated the quality of young drivers who dream of an F1 seat.

Bearman, 18, replaced the un♋well Carlos Sainz and secured a points finish in Saudi Arabia which drew praise from Hamilton.

“There’s a lot going on in the driver market,” Berni♔e Collins said on Sky Sports.

“Maybe, after that drive, [Bearman] hoping for something bette🍎r, something faster [thanꦰ Haas].

“We’ve seen these drivers𒁃 come through from F2 and they are fit to perform. They’re on it. It says a lot about that series, that they’re just fit to produce the goods.”

Last year, Lawson impressed for AlphaTauri replacing the injured Daniel Ricciardo 🌺but was overlooked for a permanent seat this season.

Collins said: “When we see Liam Lawson, we’d say tha♍t he should’ve been in a 🍒seat this year. We would have put money on that.

“So we love to see this young talent com✃e through. It goes to the question of the 11th team, doesn’t it?”

On Bearman’s hopes, sh𓆉e added: “But let’s hope so. Such a great talent.”

Naomi Schiff said: “The unfortunate thing with Formula 1 is that there are only 2ꦓ0 seats. “There are some guys on the grid who have been blocking seats for multiple decades! That’s not to say that they don’t deserve to be here - of course they do. It would just be good to see more opportunities for young drivers to get in.

“With 13 drivers out of contract at the end of the season, a lot of people will be scratching th🍎eir heads because there have been a couple of drivers come in - Laws♛on, Bearman - who prove that this young talent is to be noted.

“Even on the grid today, there are so many young drivers who prove that, e൲ven against heavyweights, they carry their weight. They do a good job.”

A frenzy of a silly season is e𒈔xpected before 2025, when Ham💃ilton will go to Ferrari leaving a vacancy at Mercedes.

Antonelli, their junior driver, has been spoken about by Mer💫cedes boss Toto Wolff as a possible contender to replace Hamilton despite his ineꦬxperience.

But Collins wants to see more F💛1 teams place thei𓃲r faith in youth.

“From a team management point of ꩲview, n🐼ext year is the year to do it,” she advised.

“Because in 2026 we’ve got the new eng🍒ine regs. You want to get the driver in the car, get them settled, to give good feedback, ready for the new engine.”