Top 5 debut season performances in Formula One

Formula 1 has a rich history filled with talented drivers who proved their mettle time and again.Over the years, there have been several drivers who eventually came to enjoy legendary status. But very few of these champions did well during in their debut season.Here is a list of the most impressive debut season performances in F1 ever.

#5 Clay Regazzoni

Clay Regazzoni got a drive with Ferrari for the fifth round of the 1970 Formula 1 season in Netherlands, a race in which he finished fourth.

Initially he had to swap places with another driver Ignazio Giunti for several races, but as his results improved, he was signed with the team for the rest of the season.

He then went on to achieve three second place finishes and a maiden win at Monza in Italy en route to third in the drivers’ championship.

#4 Ayrton Senna

Ayrton Senna made his Formula 1 debut with the relatively new and inexperienced team Toleman in 1984. After a disappointing few races, Senna caught everyone’s eye with a second place finish in Monaco on a wet track.

This was followed by two more podiums at Great Britain and Portugal, which were enough to convince everyone about his talent.

His results are even more remarkable due to the fact that the team did not achieve any more podiums either after or before him.

#3 Jackie Stewart

Jackie Stewart made his Formula 1 debut in 1965 with the BRM Team alongside the 1962 World Champion Graham Hill. He impressed everyone with a sixth place finish in his debut F1 race in South Africa.

This was followed by four podium finishes before he finally achieved his first win at the Italian Grand Prix.

In the season, Stewart amassed enough points to finish third in the drivers’ championship, just seven points behind his teammate Hill.

#2 Jacques Villeneuve

Before entering Formula 1, Jacques Villeneuve already had a successful career in the CART IndyCar World Series, which he won in 1995. Impressed by his performances, Frank Williams brought him on-board his team for the 1996 Formula 1 Season.

Villeneuve had a dream start to his career in F1 with pole position in his first ever race in Australia, but the race itself did not turn out that well as he had to let his teammate Damon Hill pass him due to technical troubles. He still managed to finish a credible second in the race.

After another second place finish in Argentina, he finally got his first win at the European Grand Prix in Nurburgring. Three more wins followed later in the season, before he finally finished his debut F1 season with a magnificent second place in the drivers’ championship.

#1 Lewis Hamilton

Fresh from winning the GP2 series in 2006, Lewis Hamilton’s dream of driving in Formula 1 was realised when he got a seat with McLaren alongside the then defending world champion Fernando Alonso for the 2007 season.

His debut race in Australia was nothing less than spectacular as he managed to finish on the podium in third place. This was followed by a string of podium finishes, untill finally his first win and pole position at the Canadian Grand Prix.

During the season, Hamilton led the drivers’ championship on several occasions, but at the last race in Brazil, gear troubles forced him to concede his position due to which he only finished seventh. That was still enough for second place in the drivers’ championship ahead of his teammate Fernando Alonso.