One of the most entertaining things to do as a Formula One fan is to try and predict the driver lineup for the following seasons.
With the 2026 lineup being complete, it’s time to look further ahead and try to predict the 2027 driver lineup!
I update my predictions at regular intervals, although not after every race. If a driver is marked in bold, it means he has already been confirmed by the team for that particular seat.
Last updated: 17 June 2026
Mercedes
Kimi Antonelli – Max Verstappen
Antonelli is the long-term prospect for the team. There’s no way he’s leaving, especially if he wins the championship this year.
Russell’s contract is a 1+1 where he gets a 2027 extension if he “reaches a performance target” in 2026. I believe that target is set very high. It probably means he will only trigger an extension if he is leading the championship by the summer break.
His current form is underwhelming, so Russell could be leaving the team after 2026.
Toto Wolff desperately wants to sign Verstappen. He is the most obvious candidate to replace Russell. Getting into the best car is also a dream situation for Max. The move depends on the clauses in Verstappen’s contract, but for now, let’s assume they will work it out.
McLaren
Lando Norris – Oscar Piastri
This is currently the best long-term lineup in F1 (unless Max-Kimi happens at Mercedes).
McLaren shouldn’t change it unless the two drivers can’t get along under the pressure of competing for titles. The car is fairly strong, so it should be in the interest of both Norris and Piastri to stay. Of course, if either of the two feels unfairly treated by the team, they may try their luck elsewhere.
Piastri is already signed to the end of 2027. Norris extended his “multi-year contract” and is believed to be under contract for 2027 and beyond.
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc – Lewis Hamilton
Leclerc recently extended his contract so there’s zero doubt about that side of the garage.
For a long time, I was predicting that Hamilton would leave Ferrari after this season. After his recent uptick in form, it now seems more likely that he will stay. Hamilton has been impressive in the opening races of 2026, so an extension will probably be announced soon.
Red Bull
Isack Hadjar – Carlos Sainz
Verstappen has a contract until 2028. The question is whether he will fulfill it – he certainly has some clauses if Red Bull aren’t competing for wins.
The Dutchman could seek out a deal with Mercedes, which means Red Bull will have to look for a replacement.
Hadjar is looking good, although not spectacular. The team will likely keep him for at least another year. His teammate could be one of the two current Racing Bulls, if the team wants to continue the tradition of promoting its own academy drivers.
But I believe they will have to go for a more experienced driver. A fairly big name that can represent the brand and also score some good results. Russell and Sainz are the best options available, but George probably doesn’t want to go here – so Red Bull will have to sign Sainz for a two year contract.
Alpine
Pierre Gasly – Fernando Alonso
Gasly is a good driver and a solid benchmark for the team’s performance. Colapinto brings sponsors, but lacks upside, so he has to be replaced eventually.
Flavio Briatore is looking for the next big star. But can he find one?
Not yet, so why not bring back Fernando Alonso as the rumours suggest. Alonso is fed up with Aston Martin. At Alpine, he can at least try to get some podiums and have a last dance with the team he won championships with.
Aston Martin
George Russell – Lance Stroll
Stroll’s father owns the team so he stays, unfortunately. It’s a shame that F1, the pinnacle of motorsports, has to deal with such blatant nepotism.
If Alonso leaves, Aston Martin need another big name to replace him. Russell is well on his way to get replaced at Mercedes, so he will have to look at other options. He’ll have plenty – Red Bull, Audi and Aston Martin will likely all be interested – but Lawrence Stroll will have the best offer, and after all, the team does have future potential.
Williams
Alex Albon – Franco Colapinto
Albon is happy driving for Williams and won’t have too many other offers on the table.
If Sainz leaves, and Alonso goes to Alpine, the best solution for Williams is to bring back Colapinto. The Argentinian left the team on a very positive note in 2024 and would be glad to return. It’s a solid fit, especially considering that Williams would get some lucrative sponsorship deals along with Franco.
Haas
Oliver Bearman – Rafael Câmara
Ferrari likely extend Hamilton, so that leaves Bearman at Haas for another year. That’s a shame, because he deserves to go to a top team already, but keeping him is a great deal for Haas.
Ocon has been underperforming during his entire Haas stint, so he will have to leave. The team is already unhappy with him. Having two Ferrari juniors might not be the ideal situation for Haas, commercially speaking, but Câmara is so good that they won’t be able to turn him down. It also gives Ferrari a year to examine which of Bearman or Câmara is the better prospect.
Racing Bulls
Arvid Lindblad – Nikola Tsolov
Racing Bulls could certainly extend with Lawson, as the Kiwi has scored quite a lot of points for them in 2026. But Lawson probably realises that he’ll never be promoted to Red Bull, so he might look at other teams while his stock is high.
Lindblad is a driver that Red Bull has a lot of faith in, and he’s been decent (albeit unlucky) so far in 2026. He should be partnered by Nikola Tsolov, one of the top drivers in this year’s F2.
Audi
Nico Hülkenberg – Gabriel Bortoleto
The team could try to lure in Russell or Sainz, but they are likely to sign with other teams. Audi’s best option is then to continue with the current driver pairing.
Hülkenberg is essentially the Audi ambassador and is there help the team develop in its early years. 2027 could be his final year, and then Audi would bring in a young talent in 2028 (Freddie Slater is first in line). But for now, the Hulk stays.
Bortoleto looks decent and deserves some more time so he can keep improving. He is a reasonably fast racer, but more suited for a number two role. That is okay for Audi though, as long as they bring in a future star eventually – either to replace Bortoleto, or to drive alongside him.
Cadillac
Sergio Pérez – Liam Lawson
Pérez has performed well for Cadillac so far, and he’s a very valuable driver for them. There’s no way he’s leaving unless something crazy happens.
Bottas, on the other hand, has been absolutely awful. Perhaps there’s a good reason behind it. This is a new team after all, and perhaps the two drivers don’t have entirely even cars. But if we assume all things are equal, Bottas is just way off Pérez’s pace. That means he has to be replaced, and one of the better options would be Liam Lawson, a driver that should be a great fit here, and he’d probably likely to seek out a bigger contract than the one he currently has at Racing Bulls.
Out of F1
Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas
Ocon and Bottas have both underperformed relative to their teammates in 2026. Their teams are allegedly tired of them, so they are most likely out for 2027. It is possible that a driver like Ocon can score another seat somewhere, but he the cards fall as predicted here, there’s just not any room for him.
The two new drivers coming into F1 would then be Rafael Câmara and Nikola Tsolov, as mentioned earlier.
Don’t forget to check the 2028 driver lineup predictions as well!
