Drivers who recently scored points in their first Grand Prix

Nyck De Vries made a strong impression on his debut, scoring two points at the Italian Grand Prix after replacing Alex Albon, who was ill, thus joining the select circle of rookies who have scored points in their first race.

When the lights come on for the Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne often becomes the stage where a rookie's career receives its first applause. This weekend, Nyck De Vries reminded everyone of this tradition by slipping into ninth place and bagging two points, enough to overtake his more experienced teammate Nicholas Latifi in the championship, despite the fact that Latifi has started every race so far.

This pattern dates back several decades. In 1996, the sensational Canadian Jacques Villeneuve turned his debut in Melbourne into a pole position demonstration and, after a loss due to an oil leak, still managed to finish second, becoming the first rookie to score points on his debut. Kimi Räikkönen followed a similar script in 2001, moving up from thirteenth on the starting grid to sixth, the last points-scoring position at the time, and giving Sauber a decisive result for the season.

Australia has also provided a platform for local talent to break through. At the 2002 Australian Grand Prix, Mark Webber finished fifth in front of an enthusiastic crowd, a result that ended his team's points drought since 1995, at the end of a chaotic race that saw twelve cars retire and two drivers disqualified. Four years later, Nico Rosberg, hampered by a rear wing problem that relegated him to the back of the field in Bahrain, fought his way to seventh place and scored two points in his first race. Perhaps no rookie has had such a spectacular debut as Lewis Hamilton in 2007. Starting fourth in Melbourne, the Briton climbed onto the podium, a feat that had not been achieved since Villeneuve's performance in 1996. This podium was the first in a series of nine consecutive top-three finishes for the rookie, who ultimately finished one point behind Kimi Räikkönen in the championship.

Sebastian Vettel added his name to the list in 2007 at the United States Grand Prix, becoming the youngest driver to score a point at 19 years, 11 months, and 14 days, a record later broken by Max Verstappen. Starting seventh, he recovered from a poor start to finish eighth, the last place eligible for points at the time.

Frenchman Sébastien Bourdais experienced both hope and disappointment at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix. Fourth before a technical failure forced him to retire, he then returned to the points standings when a series of retirements and a disqualification allowed him to finish seventh, his first points in Formula 1.

The 2014 edition produced another surprise podium finish: Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen, driving a midfield McLaren, started fourth and finished second, joining Hamilton and Villeneuve as the only rookies to climb onto the top step of the podium. The following year, Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz turned a solid start into a comeback from seventh to fourth place before settling for ninth, marking his first points finish.

These stories highlight a simple truth: Melbourne is more than just the season opener, it's a melting pot where newcomers can instantly go from being unknowns to points scorers. Nyck De Vries joins a prestigious list, and his recent performances suggest he could be a regular on the starting grid when the 2023 season begins.