Yuki Tsunoda - Japan - 17th Place Finish
A season of ups and downs for the likeable driver's sophomore year. While he seems to have honed his skills and speed, he still shows he has an error in him that can make even the unshakeable Team Principal nervous. Mistakes such as those in Singapore, Hungary and especially Montreal, led to terrible finishes for the driver. One can't help but feel that if he can iron out the errors he seems to always have in him, he can finally realise his full potential.
With Red Bull Academy drivers always vying for a place at Alpha Tauri, next year will be crucial to ensure he retains his seat beyond 2023.
Zhou Guanyu - China - 18th Place Finish
As the first Chinese Formula 1 driver in history, Zhou Guanyu can look back on his rookie season at Alfa Romeo as a successful one. He established himself as a reliable, competent driver who made few mistakes and even managed to secure a point when he nabbed 10th place at his debut race in Bahrain. Perhaps he would have finished higher up the rankings this season had his car not suffered from so many unreliability issues across the season (not to mention a terrifying crash during the British Grand Prix).
With his strong rookie year, hopefully he will be able to get such sophomore success when the new season kicks off in March.
Alex Albon - Thailand - 19th Place Finish
Though he finished low in this year's final standings, Alex Albon showed why powerhouse team Red Bull were so ready to give the rookie a chance in their team in 2020. His return to the grid after a year out, this time driving for Williams, saw him often outperform the car he was in due to a combination of speed, skill and good tyre control, and he gained a grand total of four points for the 10th and bottom placed team.
Given that he suffered respiratory failure in September which impacted his health for the rest of the season, hopefully a return to the grid in 2023 after some proper R&R will see him able to put on more impressive performances.
