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: 30 September 2026
Mercedes
Kimi Antonelli – George Russell
With Verstappen’s new Red Bull agreement, we can rule out a move to Mercedes. That almost certainly means that Toto Wolff will keep his current driver lineup.
Antonelli is the long-term prospect for the team anyway. There’s no way he’s leaving, especially if he wins the championship this year.
Russell is also under contract, at least for another year. But 2027 could be his last at Brackley.
McLaren
Lando Norris – Oscar Piastri
This is currently the best long-term lineup in F1.
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 has made some comments hinting towards a move away from McLaren, but I doubt anything will come of it.
Norris extended his “multi-year contract” and is believed to be under contract for 2027 and beyond. Piastri is on a long contract as well. Not much speculation here.
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc – Lewis Hamilton
Leclerc recently extended his contract into the 2030s 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 makes sense for the Scuderia to keep him, and that’s exactly what’s happened: Ferrari took the 2027 option and extended him for another year.
Red Bull
Max Verstappen – Isack Hadjar
For a long time, the biggest silly season question was whether Verstappen would stay or not. Strong rumours sent him to Mercedes, and later to McLaren. But now, he has extended his Red Bull contract until 2030. A very lucrative decision for Max, surely, but a questionable sporting decision as he could have easily joined Mercedes and shattered every record in F1.
Hadjar is looking good, although not spectacular. The team announced an extension ahead of his Baku return. Lawson is never getting the second seat back, unless it’s as a temporary replacement, and Lindblad isn’t ready yet, so extending Hadjar makes sense.
Alpine
Pierre Gasly – Franco Colapinto
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, as there is no clear megatalent on the market. So Alpine decided to extend Gasly and Colapinto, which is a bit disappointing, but as Briatore says, the current focus is on car development, so they don’t really care too much about drivers. If Colapinto has another major crash, as he had in Azerbaijan, the second Alpine seat could come into question, though.
Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso – Lance Stroll
Alonso has decided to give it one more go in 2027. Most likely, it will be a waste of time, but there’s no better driver out there for Aston Martin, so why not keep the Spaniard around.
Stroll’s father owns the team. That means he stays indefinitely, even though he’s the worst driver. It’s a shame that F1, the pinnacle of motorsport, has to deal with such blatant nepotism.
Williams
Carlos Sainz – Alex Albon
Sainz could have moved to Audi or Alpine but foolishly decided to extend with Williams. He’ll get 30 million euros per year for driving the Williams tractor around various tracks, but he’s giving up all ambitions of ever winning again. Nowadays, it seems like some drivers are happy being celebrities and aren’t really that focused on optimising their results.
Albon is happy driving for Williams and won’t have too many other offers on the table. His extension makes a lot more sense – and talentwise, he is bound for mediocrity anyway.
Haas
Oliver Bearman – Rafael Câmara
Neither driver confirmed yet, but Bearman doesn’t have any better options available, and he’s probably the best driver Haas can currently ask for – despite a recent drop in form.
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. He’s a clear upgrade over Ocon and it also gives Ferrari a year to examine which of Bearman and Câmara is the better prospect. It might just be Câmara, who was almost at Antonelli’s level in karting, and he’s had the opportunity to develop quietly.
Racing Bulls
Arvid Lindblad – Nikola Tsolov
Racing Bulls could certainly extend with Lawson, as the Kiwi pilot 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 talk to other teams while his stock is high.
Lindblad is a driver that Red Bull have a lot of faith in, and he’s been very good for a rookie in 2026.
He should be partnered by Nikola Tsolov, one of the top drivers in this year’s F2. Tsolov has some character issues, and might face a short stint in F1 – going up against a developing Lindblad will be a major task in 2027.
Audi
Nico Hülkenberg – Gabriel Bortoleto
A top driver still isn’t on the table for Audi. They tried to get Sainz, but without any luck. With Verstappen being locked in at Red Bull, it prevents a reshuffling among the top teams, and other top drivers like Russell and Piastri are likely to stay with their current teams.
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, as with many Brazilians before him. 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. He also brings sponsorship. 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 (maybe he’s running tests even in race sessions). This is a new team after all, and perhaps the two drivers don’t have entirely even duties. But if we assume all things are equal, Bottas is just way off Pérez’s pace. That means he has to get replaced, despite the fact that he has a contract.
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. This is the only possible surprise left in the paddock, as Cadillac could offer Bottas a generous payout to leave, and sign up a cool younger driver with more potential.
Out of F1
Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas
Ocon and Bottas have been underperforming relative to their previous levels and relative to their teammates in 2026. The teams are allegedly growing tired of them. Ocon is rumored to join Toyota in another series, so his days in F1 are numbered. As for Bottas, he still has a contract, so we’ll see what happens there.
The two new drivers coming into F1 would then be Rafael Câmara and Nikola Tsolov, as mentioned earlier. Well deserved, as they are the best current prospects in F2.
Don’t forget to check the 2028 driver lineup predictions as well!
