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Why Formula 1 isn't actually failing young drivers

Is Formula 1 really denying young drivers chances? A look at the statistics suggest we've just had a great decade for chances for newcomers - and that it's a matter of quality not just quantity

It has become conventional wisdom that Formula 1 is failing young drivers. That Williams brought 35-year-old Felipe Massa out of retirement to take the seat vacated by Mercedes-bound Valtteri Bottas is regarded as another symptom of this problem.

This year's grid features just one rookie: Lance Stroll. But there's plenty of evidence this is a temporary anomaly and the trend for new opportunities in the last decade has been more encouraging than you might think.

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