Kimi Antonelli a rookie on the move after two races with Mercedes

Since the middle of last season, McLaren have hit the reset button and nobody has figured out how to stop them in their tracks. They seem well on their way to defending their Constructors' Championship and are hot favourites to win their first Drivers' Championship since Lewis Hamilton's triumph in 2008.

Outside of that battle, there has been a fierce contest among the newcomers, with as many as six rookies lining up to make their mark in their first full F1 season. Some have impressed, while others have shown why they are still developing.

Here, we take a look at how they have fared so far.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli

At 18, Antonelli is the youngest rookie this season and has been the most impressive, having collected 22 points from the first two races. It is not just the points tally but also his maturity and decisiveness in two tough opening races that have demonstrated why the Italian is highly rated by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff as one of the brightest prospects for the future.

Liam Lawson

What was expected to be a promising season for the New Zealand driver in a highly coveted Red Bull seat quickly took a downturn after a crash in Australia during the opening weekend and a disappointing performance in China. This opened the door for the more experienced Yuki Tsunoda to step in and take over, with the 22-year-old now set to return to the Racing Bulls team.

It may not be as bad as it seems for Lawson, as this will afford him extended time to learn, and he will still remain under Red Bull's radar. However, his first challenge this season will be to overcome competition from fellow rookie Isack Hadjar.

Isack Hadjar

The 20-year-old French driver had a harsh welcome to F1 with a crash during the wet Melbourne Grand Prix on the opening weekend.

He crossed the chequered flag for the first time last week at the Chinese Grand Prix with a 14th-place finish — an encouraging result following the emotional aftermath of his crash in Australia. He finished ahead of former teammate Tsunoda, who could only manage 19th place after also failing to score points in Australia, where he finished 12th.

Oliver Bearman

The 19-year-old rookie is experiencing his first full F1 season after making substitute appearances for Ferrari last year, where he scored six points in his debut, becoming the youngest driver to score points on debut.

Now racing for Haas, he has collected four points so far this season, making him the second-highest-scoring rookie behind Antonelli. With a couple of clinical drives under his belt and a car capable of a few strong performances, he has the potential to add more points, especially given the valuable experience he gained with Ferrari last season.

Jack Doohan and Gabriel Bortoleto

Former Alpine reserve driver Jack Doohan has had a tough start to his F1 career, with his first two races overshadowed by an early retirement in his home Grand Prix. The Australian driver was also hampered by multiple penalties in China, affecting both the sprint and main race.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto impressed during the opening weekend by qualifying for Q2 ahead of more fancied drivers, including experienced teammate Nico Hülkenberg and Lawson in a much faster Red Bull. However, like Doohan, Bortoleto's Chinese Grand Prix was compromised by a ten-second penalty following a collision involving Hadjar, and he ultimately finished 14th.

Of all the rookies, Doohan and Bortoleto need to show significant improvement in Japan, as they currently sit 18th and 19th in the standings, respectively.