Baptism in Bahrain: F1's 2023 rookies reflect on tough debut race

In all the hype surrounding Fernando Alonso's emphatic drive in the Aston Martin and Red Bull securing a dominant 1-2 at the opening race of the 2023 Formula 1 race in Bahrain, it is easy to overlook the three drivers who made their F1 debuts.

Nyck de Vries, Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant are the new drivers on the grid this year, although De Vries' first participation came at last year's Italian Grand Prix, when he stood in for an ill Alex Albon at Williams.

In 2023 he makes his full-time Formula 1 debut.

Here's how each of these drivers faired in their first race as official F1 drivers.

Logan Sargeant, Williams: P12

Sargeant very nearly did not have an F1 seat in 2023, but a late flurry of points helped him secure the seat that was vacated after Williams announced Nicholas Latifi's departure. Had Sargeant not acquired the necessary Super License points, the team would likely have signed ousted Haas driver, Mick Schumacher.

Fortunately for the American, he met the criteria, and Williams could commence its relationship with him. In Bahrain, Sargeant started the race in 16th place, one position behind teammate Alex Albon, and gradually fought his way up the field to finish in P12. Albon was P10, scoring one point in the process.

"I absolutely loved every second of my debut race. The first time going off the line was special," Sargeant said.

"I'm proud of the team. I think we outperformed in everything we expected coming from testing. Hopefully, we can use this as a good base and continue to make progress throughout the year."

Nyck de Vries, AlphaTauri: P14

When De Vries made his one-off debut with Williams last year, it caught everyone's eye. Despite driving the slowest car on the grid at last year's Italian Grand Prix, he