Best young drivers to sign in F1 Manager 2023

A new year is here for would-be team principals and it is time to see who the best young drivers to sign in F1 Manager 2023 are. As ever, players everywhere will be keen to know who the next big talents are in a game where driver skill is crucial to results.

You can have a rapid car but if your driver isn't skilled enough you'll still miss out on points. As you progress in F1 Manager 2023 drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso will retire, leaving the door wide open for a new generation of talented pilots to burst onto the scene. But which ones are the best to sign? Let's take a look!

Best young drivers to sign in F1 Manager 2023

F1 Manager 2023 lets you take control of a Formula 1 team, which means that while short-term results are important you also have to have an eye on the future. Some teams that aren't in immediate points contention could benefit from bringing a young driver in right away to fast-track their experience.

Last year, everyone grabbed Oscar Piastri right away but this year there isn't necessarily a big favourite as an elite young driver. We've scouted the full roster and picked out a few that might interest you though.

It's important to remember that there are some restrictions to signing drivers though. While there is no Super Licence in F1 Manager 2023, drivers are required to be at least 18 years old and to have completed at least two seasons of F2 or F3 racing. That means that the likes of Zane Maloney, Isack Hadjar, Kush Maini, and Oliver Bearman are not eligible to be signed in the first season of F1 Manager 2023.

Here are our picks for the best young drivers to sign in F1 Manager 2023.

Theo Pourchaire

Age: 19

Team: ART (F2)

Development: High

We start with the nearly-man of the junior formula. Theo Pourchaire duelled for the F3 title in 2020 with Oscar Piastri, finishing second by just three points. He was then runner-up in F2 in 2022 by some distance to Felipe Drugovich and is currently P2 in the F2 standings behind Frederik Vesti.

In F1 Manager 2023 Pourchaire checks in with a 75 overall rating, anchored by 81 cornering and 77 braking. His 69 smoothness isn't quite as high as you would like, but at just 19 years old he has a long time to improve it.

Felipe Drugovich

Age: 22

Team: Aston Martin (Reserve)

Development: High

Next up is 2022 Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich. The young Brazilian romped to the F2 crown last year, picking up four feature race wins, and a dominant double victory in Spain. He stood on the podium six other times that year, making the most of an MP Motorsport team that was in complete command of the Pirelli tyres.

Drugovich enters F1 Manager 2023 with a 74 overall rating as the Aston Martin reserve driver with 79 cornering, and 79 reactions as his best attributes. He's got a solid 72 smoothness to look after the tyres and 78 braking to push his pace.

Richard Verschoor

Age: 22

Team: Van Amersfoort (F2)

Development: High

Next up we have Richard Verschoor. The young Dutchman finished 9th in Formula 3 in 2020, then made the leap to F2 for 2021. He competed with MP Motorsport for the first six rounds, missed the seventh and then grabbed a stead with Charouz for the final round. In 2022 he raced with Trident, finishing 12th in the championship, albeit with a sprint race win and three other second-place finishes. He currently sits 8th in the standings this year.

Verschoor's place this high in our rankings for F1 Manager 2023 is a bit of a surprise, but he has the in-game attributes to back it up. He has a 74 overall rating with massive 80 adaptability and 80 control. He's also got 78 smoothness and 75 accuracy. His overall consistency is very solid, but his out-right pace is lacking. Still, you can work on that and his ability to avoid mistakes and look after tyres is crucial.

Alex Palou

Age: 25

Team: McLaren (Reserve)

Development: Average

We're breaking out idea of "young" here a little, but Alex Palou is a special case. Racing in IndyCar, Palou is in F1 Manager 2023 thanks to his role as McLaren reserve driver. The Spaniard finished fifth in the championship last year, but has dominated 2023 and looks set to claim the championship this season with four wins and three other podium finishes to his name.

Palou arrives in F1 Manager 2023 with a 73 overall rating. His best stats are his 79 cornering and 78 defending, along with 76 reactions and 75 control. His age (25) and only average development trait mean he isn't going to improve that quickly but he starts from a solid base and is definitely of interest to wider motorsport fans.

Liam Lawson

Age: 21

Team: AlphaTauri (Reserve)

Development: High

Liam Lawson has been part of the Red Bull academy for a while now and is hotly tipped to arrive in Formula 1 eventually. He came fifth in the 2020 F3 championship, never finishing a race outside the top 10. However, luck deserted him in two seasons of F2, as retirements and misfortune saw him finish third in the 2022 standings. Now competing in Super Formula in Japan, Lawson is locked in a tight two-way championship fight with just three races left.

In F1 Manager 2023 Lawson starts with a 73 overall rating and 80 control as his best attribute. He's also got 76 accuracy and 76 braking. He's a bit hard on his tyres and his race craft isn't too hot, but he's absolutely one for the future.

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