Top 10 rookie drivers to score points on F1 debut as Lindblad celebrates P8 in Australia

Arvid Lindblad's impressive debut in the opening round of the 2026 Formula 1 season caught the attention of many, with the Racing Bulls rookie finishing eighth in the Australian Grand Prix.

The 18-year-old driver ran as high as third on the opening lap and notably went wheel-to-wheel with seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, before taking home four points at the first time of asking last weekend.

It places the Briton amongst an illustrious club of drivers who have scored points on their maiden F1 outing, and prompted us to pick out 10 of the best to have achieved the feat…

10. Eddie Irvine – 1993 Japanese Grand Prix (6th)

Drafted in for the penultimate race of the 1993 season at Suzuka, Eddie Irvine made headlines for several reasons on his F1 debut with Jordan.

The Northern Irishman had extensive knowledge of the Japanese circuit having raced in the country's premier F3000 single-seater series across the previous three seasons, and qualified eighth – well ahead of team mate Rubens Barrichello.

While Irvine would go on to finish the race sixth, just behind Barrichello and earning the final point on offer, it was his driving conduct against race winner Ayrton Senna and the subsequent aftermath that generated the major talking points.

At one point, Irvine had unlapped himself in treacherous conditions which left Senna furious, prompting the Brazilian to confront and have an altercation with the rookie post-race.

While the pair reconciled their differences at the final round in Australia, Irvine's on-track performance helped him became a staple of the F1 grid over the next decade, notably winning four races and finishing just shy of the Drivers' title with Ferrari in 1999.

9. Mark Webber – 2002 Australian Grand Prix (5th)

Driving for perennial backmarker team Minardi, not much was expected of Mark Webber during his debut race, which also happened to be in front of his home fans at Melbourne.

But when Ralf Schumacher spectacularly launched over the back of polesitter Rubens Barrichello on the approach to Turn 1, the ensuing chain reaction behind meant a total of eight cars were eliminated on the opening lap. As a result, Webber found himself in eighth, with further retirements helping the International F3000 race winner to move up inside the top-six.

Having withstood late pressure from Mika Salo's Toyota, Webber claimed an incredible fifth, prompting himself and Minardi Team Principal Paul Stoddart to celebrate on the podium in front of the Australian fans.

The points were the first for Minardi in more than two seasons and meant Webber retained his seat for the remainder of the campaign, before embarking on a career which included spells at Jaguar and Red Bull.

8. Johnny Herbert – 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix (4th)

The fact Johnny Herbert was able to start the 1989 season with Benetton at all was an incredible feat, the Briton having sustained horrific leg injuries during an International F3000 race at Brands Hatch just six months earlier.

Having avoided the threat of amputation and recovered some mobility in his legs, Herbert was recruited for the opening round in Rio de Janeiro, with the Briton qualifying an impressive 10th and ahead of more experienced team mate, Alessandro Nannini.

In a race of attrition, Herbert weathered the extreme heat and severe pain in his legs to finish an astonishing fourth, just over 10 seconds behind race winner Nigel Mansell (who was making his debut for Ferrari) and less than one second away from the podium.

Despite finishing fifth just four races later as well, Herbert was soon dropped from Benetton, eventually returning to the team in 1995 via a notable spell with Lotus, before achieving two wins and adding a third and final victory with Stewart at the 1999 European Grand Prix.

7. Sebastian Vettel – 2007 United States Grand Prix (8th)

With Robert Kubica suffering a huge crash at the previous round in Canada and forced to sit out the next race just a week later in the USA, BMW Sauber called upon their reserve driver Sebastian Vettel to step into the seat.

The young German had impressed during practice sessions in his role as test driver, but Vettel's weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway began inauspiciously, as the rookie was caught speeding in the pit lane just seconds into his debut.

Undeterred, Vettel qualified seventh and came home eighth, securing the final point on offer under the previous system and becoming the-then youngest driver to score a World Championship point.

His performance earned him a shot at Red Bull's junior squad Toro Rosso just four races later, eventually landing himself at the senior squad in 2009 as four Drivers' titles beckoned between 2010-2013.

6. Kevin Magnussen – 2014 Australian Grand Prix (2nd)

The reigning Formula Renault 3.5 Series champion, Kevin Magnussen was promoted to a McLaren race seat for 2014 having been a member of the team's Young Driver Programme for several seasons.

The team's faith in the young Dane paid off, with Magnussen qualifying fourth for the opening race in Australia, which was also the first under the new V6 turbo regulations.

With polesitter Lewis Hamilton retiring early on, Magnussen was left to finish third on-the-road behind winner Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) and home hero Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull), but third became second post-race as Ricciardo was disqualified for a fuel irregularity.

The runner-up position was the first and first (and so far only) time a Dane has reached the F1 podium, but despite another 184 starts during a career that spanned 10 years, Magnussen failed to reach the rostrum again in F1.

5. Kimi Antonelli – 2025 Australian Grand Prix (4th)

Fast-tracked into F1 by Mercedes after just a single season in F2, Kimi Antonelli faced a trial by water on his debut in the 2025 Australian Grand Prix and amidst huge pressure from the media and fans.

While the likes of fellow rookie Isack Hadjar crashed on the formation lap and two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso also found the barriers in treacherous conditions, Antonelli stayed out of trouble and steadily climbed up from P16 on the grid after failing to progress beyond Q1.

Despite just missing out on the podium in the race, finishing P4 – but less than two seconds behind Mercedes team mate George Russell – the teenager became the youngest driver to score points on their F1 debut.

The Italian would reach the podium later in the season in Canada and Brazil, before beginning the 2026 campaign with second in the opening round last weekend.

4. Ollie Bearman – 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (7th)

With Carlos Sainz needing emergency surgery for appendicitis, Ollie Bearman was called into action as Ferrari's reserve driver for the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The Briton was already at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit for F2 duties with Prema and had taken pole position for that weekend's feature race before finding himself making an unexpected F1 debut – becoming Ferrari's youngest driver in the process.

With only the final, one-hour practice session to acclimatise to Ferrari's SF-24, Bearman got up to speed quickly and just missed out on reaching the final part of Qualifying, starting 11th on his debut.

In the race, the teenager reached the chequered flag in seventh having held Lando Norris' McLaren and Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes behind in the closing stages, and in the process, became the-then youngest driver to score points on their F1 debut at the age of just 18.

His impressive performance paved the way for two more super-sub outings for Haas later in the season before a full-time drive beckoned in 2025.

3. Giancarlo Baghetti – 1961 French Grand Prix (1st)

Giancarlo Baghetti earned himself a footnote in F1 history at the 1961 French Grand Prix, becoming the first and only driver outside of the inaugural championship race in 1950 – and Indianapolis 500 races when it was part of the calendar – to claim victory on his Formula 1 debut.

The Italian earned his shot in the event, held at Reims, having claimed top spot in his first two non-championship races at Syracuse and Naples that were held earlier in the season.

Armed with the 'sharknose' Ferrari 156 – albeit not a factory machine which had slightly more horsepower – Baghetti entered the race as a privateer under FISA (Federazione Italiana Scuderie Automobilistiche).

Despite only qualifying 12th, he gradually moved his way towards the front and was aided by mechanical woes for the factory 156s driven by eventual World Champion Phil Hill, Wolfgang von Trips and Richie Ginther – the trio taking 1-2-3 on the grid.

In the slipstream of Dan Gurney's Porsche on the run to the line, Baghetti pipped the American to the chequered flag by just one-tenth to claim victory on his official F1 debut.

Even more incredibly, it was to be Baghetti's only victory in F1 and he never reached the podium again in 20 further starts, amassing just two points finishes despite moving to the factory Ferrari team in 1962.

2. Lewis Hamilton – 2007 Australian Grand Prix (3rd)

Having impressed McLaren with his pre-season testing performances as well as title success in the GP2 feeder series in 2006, Lewis Hamilton was given the second seat alongside two-time and reigning World Champion Fernando Alonso for the 2007 campaign.

Despite the pressure of being up against arguably the sport's top driver after the retirement of Michael Schumacher, Hamilton's campaign began encouragingly with fourth on the grid for his maiden F1 race in Melbourne, less than three-tenths behind his more experienced team mate, who started on the front row.

But while Alonso was hesitant into the braking zone of Turn 1 at the start, Hamilton swept to the outside and moved ahead of his more illustrious team mate. The future seven-time World Champion maintained position ahead of Alonso for much of an uneventful race, only conceding the position after the final round of pit stops as the Briton finished third, behind Alonso and race winner Kimi Raikkonen.

Hamilton proved the result wasn't a flash in the pan, finishing on the podium at the next eight races, including back-to-back wins in Canada and the USA as he mounted a title challenge in his maiden season.

1. Jacques Villeneuve – 1996 Australian Grand Prix (2nd)

Fresh from his CART title – which also included victory at the Indianapolis 500 – in America the year before, much was expected of Jacques Villeneuve's move across to F1 with Williams at the start of the 1996 season.

Even so, the Canadian surprised many from the outset at the opening round in Australia, besting team mate Damon Hill to pole position by just over one-tenth.

Having maintained his lead at both standing starts – the second required after Martin Brundle's spectacular crash – Villeneuve led until the sole pit stop phase before momentarily dropping behind Hill when the Briton rejoined in front.

Villeneuve showcased his prowess though, with an audacious overtake around the outside at Turn 4 and looked on course for an incredible victory on debut, but a slow oil leak meant he had to concede the lead just five laps from home as he eventually finished second.

Villeneuve's maiden F1 victory would come soon enough, however, as he stood on the top step just three races later at the Nürburgring and challenged Hill for that year's title.

Despite missing out, Villeneuve ultimately claimed the crown the following season after an infamous collision with Michael Schumacher in Jerez that secured what remains Williams' most recent title.