Watch below as Sky Sports News HQ's Craig Slater reflects on the test debuts of the teenage rising stars in action at Silverstone
Thursday 14 July 2016 13:43, UK
The fastest times on each day of the in-season test at Silverstone may have been set by two of the oldest drivers on the grid, in Fernando Alonso on day one and Kimi Raikkonen on day two, but there were also a number of eye-catching performances from the sport's next generation.
Excluding the two 30-something former world champions, the average age of the drivers in action was 19 on Tuesday and 21 on Wednesday - but how many of them will make the full-time step up to F1 in forthcoming years?
A trio of more familiar names are clearly knocking on the door for 2017 - Stoffel Vandoorne, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly - and Mercedes protege and Renault tester Ocon featured prominently throughout the test, finishing second on both days in the championship-leading W07.
Ocon is only 19, yet he was not even the youngest driver in the field as several lesser-known rising stars got their first chance to drive an F1 car. Brazilian Sergio Sette Camara and American Santino Ferrucci, both 18, made their debuts for Toro Rosso and Haas respectively.
Ferrucci completed 162 laps over the two days, setting the seventh quickest time on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Camara had just one day in the car and was ninth quickest on day two, having completed 82 laps in the Toro Rosso.
Force India also gave their development driver, 17-year-old Nikita Mazepin, a chance.
The Russian is currently driving in Formula 3 and attracted attention for a punch-up with fellow driver Callum Illott in the F3 paddock earlier this year, earning himself a race ban.
Mazepin says he's learnt from that incident and believes it shows his passion: "Sometimes on the bad days I get upset, which is normal, but I try and give my 101 per cent.
"There's drivers that make stupid things on track, I made a silly thing off the track and learning from it was big.
"I regretted it many times since, but it just shows that I do make mistakes, I am a human. I am there to give my very best and sometimes emotions take over."
On day one of the test, Ferrari had their academy driver Charles Leclerc in the car.
After his day's running on Tuesday, he said he was "definitely confident" that a driver from the academy would graduate to the top team.
Monagesque Leclerc was a close friend of the late Jules Bianchi, who was one of only two drivers to make it to Formula 1 from the Ferrari academy, alongside Sergio Perez, since it's creation in 2009.
Meanwhile, GP2 title contender Gasly - a relative test veteran at 20 years of age - completed both days for Red Bull, as he bids to convince the F1 team's management he deserves the second Toro Rosso seat alongside Carlos Sainz in 2017.
And reigning GP2 champion Vandoorne closed the test for McLaren, with the run-out set to be the final one for the Belgian before the team decide on whether he or Jenson Button partners Fernando Alonso next season.
Britain's Manor's Jordan King drove on the second day for Manor, racking up 70 laps as the back-to-back GP2 sprint race victor targets a seat at the Mercedes-powered outfit for 2017. Two of King's GP2 rivals, Alex Lynn and Sergey Sirotkin, also appeared on the opening day for Williams and Renault respectively.
